Keely Hodgkinson will compete in the women's 800m final at the European Championships in Birmingham on Friday evening, seeking a third successive title and potentially breaking the long-standing world record. The Olympic champion, aged 24, has also shared personal ambitions and discussed the challenges of injury.
Marriage and Family Ambitions
On Welsh sprinter Jeremiah Azu's YouTube channel, Hodgkinson said that starting a family and getting married are among her biggest goals for the next decade. "Mine is I'd like to start a family and get married. That's a big thing for me," she said. She added, "I'll be 34, I'd like to think I'd had a baby by then and I really look forward to that point of my life at some point."
Her previous relationship, with a fellow athlete, ended in early 2024 due to the pressures of long-distance, as their careers took them between Texas, Italy, and London. "Because I do what I do and put that first, we could go weeks, months and not see each other," she told The Times. "I'm not really interested in dating right now. I've never been on the apps. I like meeting people in real life."
Injury Struggles and Resilience
In July, Hodgkinson arrived at a Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon, with heavily strapped knees after a serious fall days earlier. She finished second behind Lilian Odira and later revealed the extent of the injury: "It's shocking, to be honest. Four days ago I couldn't even walk, so I guess I should take that into consideration but I wanted a lot more than that."
She posted a photograph on Instagram from a medical room showing bruising across her knees, with the caption "Forward motion." The post drew support from fellow athletes and fans. Earlier, in June, she withdrew from the 400m final at the UK Athletics Championships after suffering what she described as a "little twinge." Despite these setbacks, her ambition to break the 800m world record, set by Jarmila Kratochvilova in 1983, remains unchanged.
Praise from Sebastian Coe
World Athletics president Sebastian Coe, speaking on the UNTAPPED podcast, called Hodgkinson "probably the most authentic person I currently know." He recalled meeting her at a Manchester restaurant during her birthday, days before she won her world indoor title. "What you see with Keely is what you get. She is very funny, she's totally driven, but she puts things in perspective," Coe said. He added, "She's just completely normal, but she is incredibly well talented. She's got a great coaching team around her. I'm probably going to lose whatever fan base I've got left in the south of England, but she's absolutely rooted to the north of England and that for me counts for a lot in life."
