After being topped BBC Sports activities Persona of the Yr, Keely Hodgkinson already has eyes on breaking much more data subsequent season.
The 22-year-old, who grew to become Olympic 800m champion and went unbeaten over two laps all yr, will make her first look because the summer time at a gathering named the “Keely Klassic”, which takes place in Birmingham on February 15, 2025.
The goal? To take down take down Jolanda Čeplak’s world indoor 800m document of 1:55.82.
Čeplak, who notably served a doping ban between 2007 and 2009, recorded that mark on March 3, 2002, which was the identical day that Hodgkinson was born.
Instantly after the Paris Olympics, Hodgkinson ended her season – citing a minor hamstring damage – earlier than taking a nicely deserved break.
Keely Hodgkinson (BBC)
The Brit is now again in coaching and final night time swapped her high-altitude camp in Potchefstroom, South Africa, for the pink carpet at Media Metropolis in Salford.
Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows, who coach Hodgkinson and simply wanting 20 different elite athletes at M11 Monitor Membership, additionally gained the BBC Sports activities Persona Coaches of the Yr award.
Meadows, a world and European medallist over 800m herself, believes that something is feasible for the British middle-distance runner over the following couple of years.
“We’ve seen all of the laborious work she’s been doing behind the scenes and I simply know this would be the starting for Keely,” Meadows instructed AW. “She’s bought enormous ambitions within the sport and he or she gained’t cease till she’s gained a minimum of one other gold medal at LA 2028. She’ll in all probability transcend that as nicely.
“We really feel we now know the way Keely can get each the indoor and out of doors world 800m document. We all know when to push and again off and we’ve additionally trialled some issues in coaching. In fact it at all times depends on consistency. The large goal in 2025 could be to win each the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing and World Outside Championships in Tokyo. Sounds simple doesn’t it?!”
Jenny Meadows with Trevor Painter and Keely Hodgkinson (Getty)
Meadows additionally states that she thinks Hodgkinson can be greatest positioned to interrupt Jarmila Kratochvilova’s world out of doors document of 1:53.28 – the oldest within the athletics books (1983) – in 2026.
“In two years it’s in all probability the precise time for the out of doors world document,” she added. “Bodily we all know Keely can run a 1:53 however 1:53.28 is one thing fairly completely different. So 1:53 one thing in 2025 and hopefully we are able to push on sooner or later.”
Hodgkinson’s greatest instances are 1:54.61 open air and 1:57.18 indoors, with the previous set on the London Diamond League again in July.
Painter echoes Meadows and is delighted that athletics was within the highlight at BBC Sports activities Persona of the Yr.
In taking residence the coaches award, the pair now comply with within the footsteps of the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola.
Keely Hodgkinson with coach Trevor Painter (Getty)
“It’s somewhat bit worrying that Pep gained it final yr and Man Metropolis are on a demise this season,” Painter joked. “However in all seriousness, it’s unimaginable to comply with within the footsteps of these names.
“It’s additionally nice to maintain athletics within the public eye actually and the game is so nicely considered within the nation. An Olympic yr at all times brings emotive moments and an Olympian usually wins it.”
Meadows added: “Lots of people have been saying ‘absolutely you guys are up for this award?’ I don’t assume you are taking something with no consideration however I positively had a second after I noticed that Kelly [Holmes] and Jess [Ennis-Hill] had been going backstage.
“I simply nudged Trevor, not even taking a look at him, to ask if he was okay, simply in case we gained it. I used to be so shocked. It was simply superb to see so lots of our athletes and Keely’s household thrilled for us.”
Keely Hodgkinson celebrates with Trevor Painter (Getty)
Nevertheless, The Instances has reported that Painter is aiming to fulfill UK Athletics bosses after being hit with a 62 p.c pay minimize.
Beforehand, those that coached world medallists within the UK had been paid an annual base fee of £20,000 and acquired a £20,000 bonus for each athlete they guided to the rostrum.
That now stands at £15,000 a yr if their athlete wins a gold medal, with no bonus concerned. For silver and bronze medallists the determine is £7500.
UK Athletics additionally suffered an eight per cent minimize to funding forward of LA 2028, regardless of Nice Britain securing 10 monitor and area medals on the Paris Olympics – the largest tally in athletics since 1984.
Painter guided three athletes to the Olympic podium – Hodgkinson, Georgia Bell and Lewis Davey – within the French capital.
Trevor Painter and Keely Hodgkinson (Getty)
“Over time, after I was teaching Jenny, we created a system that was self-sufficient,” Painter instructed AW. “There have been instances Jenny wasn’t on funding so we needed to do it our personal means.
“I feel that has set us up in a very good stance working with Keely. When she was a junior athlete she had no funding and we labored the identical means at that time as nicely. Her silver medal in Tokyo introduced riches and rewards for Keely and he or she’s now means examined out of it. We take no matter assist we are able to get from the nationwide governing our bodies however finally we attempt to be self-sufficient.
Meadows, echoing Painter’s sentiments, added: “We’ve now tried to commercialise M11 Monitor Membership and that hopefully provides us the alternatives to work with some companions.
“If the funding is there from the nationwide governing our bodies then nice but when not we are able to have a look at different sources of revenue. We need to preserve doing what we’re doing and we’re nonetheless in shock after successful this award.”
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