‘I’ve worked so hard for this’: Keely Hodgkinson revels in 800m Olympic gold

Keely Hodgkinson believes she is capable of handling the “life­-changing” experience of ­becoming an Olympic gold medallist after ­backing up pre-event favouritism with a ­dominant win in the 800m final in Paris.

The 22-year-old, who claimed silver in Tokyo three years ago, admitted she was well aware of pre‑Paris expectation on her. How the Team GB member delivered, hitting the front inside the first lap and never giving up the lead. Hodgkinson believes she has plenty more to achieve in her sport.

Related: Keely Hodgkinson storms to 800m gold for GB’s first athletics triumph in Paris

“I think so,” she said when asked whether this will alter her life for ever. “It changed my life last time. Now being a champion, no one can ever take that away from me. This is the biggest stage our sport is ever on.

“I don’t know what it will bring but I think I am a lot better prepared for it than I was last time. I have worked so hard and just trusted the process. It hasn’t sunk in yet. I have worked so hard for this. The race was a bit slow at 400m but I just kept composure and knew if I was in the right mindset I would be very hard to beat.

“This last year has been focused on how I can go a level up. This year you could see how I’ve grown as an athlete. It is the time I’ve been the ­favourite going into a ­championships. I was determined for it to be that way. This year I’ve tried to step up.”

Hodgkinson won the race in 1min 56.72sec and has set her sights on the world record, which is 1:53.28. At the Diamond League in London before the Olympics, she ran 1:54.61 to set a British record.

“It’s definitely a goal,” she said. “Whether it comes out or not, ­nothing is guaran­teed. I’d love to give it a good go. There’s more in there. When you’re at the top of your game, why not?

“After doing something so big as the Olympics the rest of the summer can feel like a drag. We’ll see what the legs have got in them. After the 1:54, training got better and better and there were sessions that indicated there was so much more there. But it will take a special occasion like London to get that out. We’ll see in the next couple of weeks but for now it’s about enjoying.”

Hodgkinson was well aware of the focus on her heading towards Paris. She had been branded in many quarters as the golden girl of Team GB.

Related: Keely Hodgkinson’s patience pays off with golden moment after near misses | Andy Bull

“It’s definitely been different this championships,” she said. “I’ve had to block out the noise. A lot of people were getting into the Olympics and being on the stage means everything. But it’s also very difficult. Hats off to anyone who has dealt with that before. It’s definitely a privilege but so tough. I’m super-proud of me and the team to cope with it. Back-to-back semis and finals was tough. I’ve used my psychologist a bit more in this championship and doing what I can to get the job done.

“The British love the Olympics and I knew what I did in London meant I came in as a favourite. To go off the back of that and calm down the emotions of it, go into a holding camp, maintain it, if not do better, get through rounds where nothing is guaranteed, medal contenders going out. It’s such a cut-throat sport. To get through to the final was the aim. Then it was to finish first.”