Keely Hodgkinson declared “I deserved this” after shrugging off the weight of enormous expectations to claim women’s 800m Olympic gold in Paris.
The world silver medallist was the heavy favourite heading into the Games, especially after laying down the fastest time at her signature distance this year last month in London, but in the build-up to her date with destiny consistently favoured the refrain “anything can happen”.
What ultimately did unfold at the Stade de France was a triumph after the 22-year-old found herself in front at the halfway point then dialled it up for a surge in the home stretch to clinch the title in 1:56.72 ahead of Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma, who took silver, and Kenya’s third-place finisher Mary Moraa.
Hodgkinson, who three summers ago stormed to a surprise silver in Tokyo, said: “Being Olympic champion, no-one can take that away from you.
“It’s the biggest stage ever. I didn’t know what it will bring but I’m better prepared than I was last time. Couple of years older, a bit blonder and all that. We’re good.
“I deserve this. This last year has been focused on how I can level up. This year you could see how I’ve grown as an athlete, first time I’ve been the favourite going into a championships. I’ve been determined for it to be that way. This year I’ve tried to step up.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet, to be honest. I’ve worked so hard for this, I’m out of words. It didn’t go how I thought it was going to but you can’t predict these things. I kept my composure. I could see Mary coming but I knew if I was in the right mind-frame I could do it today.”
With the title finally secured, Hodgkinson snapped a streak of silvers that began with her Tokyo podium and extended through the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and back-to-back World Championships.
She becomes the first British woman to claim Olympic 800m gold since Dame Kelly Holmes at the Athens Games in 2004, and just the third since Ann Packer in 1964.
Hodgkinson is also the first British female track and field champion since Jessica Ennis-Hill at London 2012, and was thrilled to join the exclusive club.
She said: “Jess Ennis was a big inspiration. She was the last. That is crazy to be a part of that.
“I looked up to her, she got me back into athletics all of those years ago. To join her and other legends like Kelly, I’ve just seen Kelly up there and she is absolutely ecstatic.
“To share these moments with these people and to cement myself in history, is really really special.”
Though to all watching it was clear Queen Keely had anointed herself with a golden crown – and eventually wore one, thrown to her by a member of a supporter’s club in the crowd – Hodgkinson confessed to the BBC that she had to glance up at the scoreboard, just to fully confirm her dream really had come true.
Shortly after Hodgkinson added Olympic gold to her collection, Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis set his ninth world record, clearing 6.25 metres to beat the 6.24 metres he set in the Xiamen Diamond League in April this year.
He had already wrapped up Olympic gold with a 6.00 metres clearance, then followed up an Olympic record height of 6.10 metres with the new world marker on his third attempt.
Earlier, Dina Asher-Smith bounced back from 100 metres heartbreak to snap up a place in the 200 metres final.
The 28-year-old, who was reduced to tears after missing out on Saturday’s final showdown at the shorter distance, got the job done in 22.31 seconds as the second-fastest finisher from her heat,.
Daryll Neita, who missed out on 100 metres bronze by just four one hundredths of a second, also ensured Asher-Smith would not be the lone Briton in the hunt for a medal after securing her own spot from semi-final three.
Neita said: “I qualified for the final that’s all you need to say.
“Two finals, you can’t knock that, it’s an amazing achievement.”
Noah Lyles, fresh from his 100 metres triumph on Sunday night, qualified for the 200 metres from Monday’s heats, the first step in his quest to achieve at least the individual double in France.
He is also expected to participate in the men’s 4×100 metres relay, and has openly advocated for a spot on the men’s 4×400 team as well, in a bid to achieve something Jamaican eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt never did by winning four golds in one Games.
