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Keely Hodgkinson has slammed England for preferring football and leaving athletics out of the picture despite the obvious talent.
Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson has criticised England for channeling its energy into funding football and ignoring athletics.
The newly-crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year said despite football being a popular sport in England, athletics has the potential to surpass football if it receives the backing of stakeholders.
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20:55 - 18.12.2024
Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson launches her own indoor athletics event in attempt to revolutionise the sport
The inaugural Keely Klassic is set to take place in Birmingham in February next year as Keely Hodgkinson starts bid to revolutionise athletics.
"I think track over the years has gotten a bit lost with all the football in this country and it’s not a top, top sport, but we have such great people in it. We have seen with the Olympics that when it is put out there, it is really fun," she told the Daily Mail.
It is for that reason that Hodgkinson decided to launch the Keely Klassic event. This is an indoor athletics event that the 22-year-old wants to use as a platform to revolutionise the sport with the inaugural edition set for February 2025 in Birmingham.
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19:13 - 12.12.2024
'I was embarrassed to show my face' - American sprint legend Allyson Felix reveals the sorrow of missing gold in 2008
Allyson Felix has revealed the emotional turmoil of winning silver in the 2008 Olympics, feeling devastated and letting others down.
"We can definitely give that to people more often. We want to make this event an experience like no other, with the intensity of world-class sport and the energy and excitement of live entertainment. I’m excited for fans to witness history in the making," added the Tokyo Olympic silver medalist.
As well as her bold plans to modernise athletics, another area where Hodgkinson wants to see change in the sport is investment in coaches. Her mentors, Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows, were jointly awarded Coach of the Year but their honour came just days after it emerged they were facing a huge pay cut from UK Athletics.
Painter would previously have received £40,000 for coaching a global gold medalist, but has been told by UKA that he will now get just £15,000 for the year. "It's actually the coaching that we need more investing in. You could have the most talented person in the world, if they're not coached right, or looked after, it can completely go to waste," she stated.
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