Keely Hodgkinson ran with the weight of Great Britain’s expectations on her shoulders but still emerged Olympic 800m champion at Stade de France.
The Wigan world silver medallist was the heavy favourite heading not just into Monday night’s final but well ahead of these Games, setting a world-leading time of 1:54.61 just over two weeks before what had increasingly started to feel like a dance with destiny.
On a clear Monday evening in Paris she was calm and collected, moving up from fifth to first entering the final lap and cruised across the line in 1:56.72.
Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma surged to silver in 1:57.15, while Kenya’s world champion Mary Moraa collected bronze.
Hodgkinson told the BBC: “That was absolutely incredible. I’ve worked so hard over the last year and you could see how much it meant to me as I crossed the line.
“I can’t believe I’ve finally done it. It means so much to me. And to do it here, where better? The audience was absolutely incredible, it felt like a home crowd to me, so I’m super happy.
“I wanted to be up near the front anyway, probably quicker after the first lap, but doing the semi-final and the final back to back everyone was tired. It’s tough.
“I trusted myself, I could feel Mary [Moraa] coming at me down the back straight. But I showed composure and I got to the line first this time.
“I had a cheeky look at the screen just to make sure but you can’t do anything until you cross that line. I’m now the Olympic champion for the next four years and nobody can take that away from me.”
Three summers ago in Tokyo, a then 19-year-old Hodgkinson stormed to a surprise silver, breaking a British record held by Dame Kelly Holmes for 26 years.
She added: “I feel like I’ve really grown over the last couple of years and this year is the year I’ve really tried to make that step up.
“The other girls are incredible. I knew to cross that line first I had to go one better than I ever had. I’m just so pleased to do it today. The future is bright.
“I’ve seen all the support from home, I’ve seen people messaging me and I haven’t got back to everyone yet but I will do and I’ve seen it all. It couldn’t feel more amazing to that have support.
“I’m super happy to bring it home for everyone. It’s not just me, it’s a whole team effort and they know who they are. This is our gold medal.”
A new Olympic champion was always guaranteed after Hodgkinson’s biggest rival, American Athing Mu, fell in the United States trials and did not qualify.
Since Tokyo, Hodgkinson had finished runner-up at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and back-to-back World Championships, also claiming two European titles.
The silver streak came to an end on Monday, when the Manchester United fan became the first British woman to win an Olympic 800m title since Holmes reached the top of the podium in Athens 20 years ago – not long after 22-year-old Hodgkinson was born.
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