Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson has spoken out about the unrealistic demands placed on athletes by the public, following World Athletics president Seb Coe's glowing assessment of her down-to-earth character.
Hodgkinson Hits Back at Misconceptions
In an interview on fellow athlete Jeremiah Azu's podcast Time to ZOOM In, Hodgkinson addressed what she sees as a major misconception: that athletes have no life outside their sport. “One of my biggest things is [people] thinking we don't have a life outside of [athletics],” she said. “I hate that so much.”
The 24-year-old, who won Olympic gold at Paris 2024 and set a world indoor 600m record in 2023, explained that fans often expect her to live like a monk. She recalled struggling with a hamstring injury last year, which left her stressed and breaking out in rashes, yet she still faced criticism for enjoying time with friends. “Just because you see this on socials, I'm not a robot,” she added.
Coe's Praise for Hodgkinson's Grounded Nature
Seb Coe, the 69-year-old World Athletics president and former Team GB head, recently recounted a chance encounter with Hodgkinson in Manchester. He described her as “completely normal” despite her achievements. “What you see with Keely is what you get,” Coe said. “She is very funny, she's totally driven, but she puts things in perspective.”
Coe noted that he bumped into Hodgkinson celebrating her birthday just days after she broke the indoor world record. “She was only literally a few days away from destroying the field and winning her world indoor title and she was just out celebrating her birthday,” he said. “She's just completely normal, but she is incredibly well talented.”
Rooted in the North
Coe also highlighted Hodgkinson's strong ties to northern England. “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,” he remarked.
Hodgkinson, reportedly worth millions, emphasised that success does not require sacrificing a personal life. “It doesn't mean that if I go out with my friends for dinner that I'm not focused on what I'm doing. Like, what do you want us to do?” she said.
