Olympic gold medalist Keely Hodgkinson has hit back at "irritating" social media trolls after facing backlash over glamorous holiday snaps she shared online. The Team GB star, who regularly posts updates from her travels around the world on Instagram, said she uses the platform "purely just for fun" and does not think too deeply about it.
Speaking on a Sky Sports podcast, the 24-year-old addressed the criticism she has received from a small vocal section of her comments section. "Believe it or not, athletes do have a lot of time to kill away from the track," she said.
Defending athlete downtime
Hodgkinson explained that the negative comments have become a source of frustration. "I get a lot of comments about that. It's really irritating me because I'm like, if only you knew what I'd done today? That's the perception of an athlete - to work all day. And that's just not sustainable," she said.
She added that she and her friends enjoy spending time together during training camps. "When I go and train in camp, there's a lot of time to kill. As well as a lot of time spent training," she noted.
Sharing her journey on YouTube
The Olympic champion revealed she launched her YouTube channel a year ago to give fans an insight into her life as a professional athlete. "To bring people on the experience of what it is really like to be a professional track-and-field athlete. What it really takes," she said.
She described the channel as showing both the difficult and enjoyable sides of her career. "And some of the sessions that we have to do. The misery that it sometimes causes. But also the fun side of it. How I get to live this life. To travel the world," she added.
A love-hate relationship with social media
Hodgkinson admitted she has a complicated relationship with social media. "I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with it. Everybody does. I try and manage that as much as I can," she said.
The runner is now resting ahead of the 2027 season, which will include a trip to Beijing for the World Championship. Fans may also see her wear her bold skinsuit again, which she previously explained: "I wanted to be comfortable but I wanted to feel a little bit... The back's open and that makes it feel really cool. It feels like I'm wearing nothing, to be honest."
