Keely Hodgkinson, the golden girl of British athletics, will be a notable absentee from the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, which officially begin on Thursday. The 24-year-old, who won silver at the last Games in Birmingham in 2022, has chosen not to compete this year due to her busy schedule.
Focus on European Championships
Hodgkinson indicated earlier this year that she would not feature in Glasgow, instead prioritising the European Championships in Birmingham in August. In an interview with STV in March, she said: "I’m currently not going to be competing [at the Commonwealth Games]."
Former Team GB sprinter Katharine Merry confirmed the decision when the English squad was announced, stating: "For those asking me and to confirm, Keely isn’t missing out. She chose not to compete."
Teasing a new look
Hodgkinson has teased a potential change of appearance ahead of the European Championships. On Instagram, she asked her 640,000 followers whether she should ditch her blonde hair and revert to her natural brunette look.
Since winning 800m gold at the Paris Olympics, Hodgkinson's profile has risen significantly. She has signed endorsement deals with major brands including Nike, Omega, and Vitality, and recently launched her own collaborative training and racing collection with Nike.
Sharing photos of the photoshoot on social media, she wrote: "This was such a fun process!!! Thank you to Nike for bringing this to life. Such a dream. If you told 10-year-old Keels she'd have her own collaborative collection out with Nike, she'd have died. Hope y'all love it as much as I do."
