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The Briton middle-distance runner has captivated the world with her remarkable journey from Olympic disappointment to ultimate triumph.
Reigning Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson is setting her sights firmly on gold in 2025, determined to build on an unforgettable year that saw her secure a long-awaited Olympic victory.
Despite the lure of a lucrative new track league created by sprinting legend Michael Johnson, Hodgkinson remains committed to her goal of dominating the global stage in athletics.
Hodgkinson, who stunned the world with her gold medal performance in Paris, is already planning her next moves with a sense of purpose.
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After claiming silver at both the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 World Championships, she finally clinched the top spot at the Paris Olympics, ending a long wait for her first global title.
But rather than rest on her laurels, the 22-year-old is now targeting a hat-trick of major titles in 2025, including the European and World Indoor Championships, and the World Outdoor Championships in Tokyo.
“As of the moment, I plan to maybe do one,” said Hodgkinson about Grand Slam Track, the new series set to be launched by Johnson next year as quoted by Standard UK.
“I haven’t signed up to do all of them. I feel like it’s a really busy year next year. I think it’s great what [Johnson’s] doing, I just don’t feel like it’s for me next year and I guess we’ll see where the league goes after that. But I look forward to hopefully doing one.”
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The Grand Slam Track series, modeled on the Major schedule seen in tennis and golf, will host events in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Miami, and Kingston, Jamaica.
With $100,000 in prize money on offer for the winners of each discipline, the series has already attracted top athletes, including some of Hodgkinson’s British teammates.
However, despite the significant rewards and the potential for exposure, Hodgkinson is prioritizing her goal of adding more gold medals to her collection.
The decision not to fully commit to the Grand Slam Track series is one rooted in her unwavering focus on the global championships.
“Gold medals can never be taken away from you,” she said, underlining her belief that titles are the ultimate markers of success in athletics.
“That will always be a top priority, trying to go to Tokyo and win the World Championships. I don’t have a World Championship gold yet.”
While the new track league represents an exciting opportunity, Hodgkinson’s priority remains her personal bests and the major titles that will cement her place as one of the world’s greatest middle-distance runners.
In 2024, she went unbeaten over the 800m distance and even shattered her own British record at London’s Diamond League, setting her sights on Jarmila Kratochvilova’s longstanding world record of 1:53.28.
“I do think the 1:53 is possible. I think we’re so close to getting down there,” Hodgkinson said.
“But obviously, it takes a special race. You’ve got to be in perfect shape, perfect conditions, the right race for all that to come together.”
She remains committed to continuing her pursuit of this elusive time, although she acknowledges the uncertainty of when it will happen.
“It could happen next year, it could happen the year after that, it could take three years, I just don’t know. But I will definitely put myself in the best position to do so.”
Hodgkinson’s focus on major titles in 2025 is unwavering, and she intends to go after all three golds in the coming year.
“I look to hopefully compete in all three of them and hopefully come away with a gold in all of them."
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