Keely Hodgkinson gained in a time of 1:58.65, beating Slovakia’s Gabriela Gajanova, who completed strongly to take the silver, and France’s Anais Bourgoin in third, regardless of the 22-year-old medal hope for Paris 2024 having picked up an sickness the day earlier than the ultimate in Rome
Final Up to date: 12/06/24 9:12pm
Nice Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson efficiently defended her 800m title with victory on the European Championships in Rome.
Nice Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson gained gold within the 800m on the European Championships in Rome, retaining the title she gained two years in the past in Munich.
The 22-year-old medal hope for the Paris 2024 Olympics gained in a time of 1:58.65, beating Slovakia’s Gabriela Gajanova, who completed strongly to take the silver, and France’s Anais Bourgoin in third.
Hodgkinson led the race all through, holding off her rivals, regardless of not feeling 100 per cent coming into Wednesday’s remaining.
“I picked up an illness a little bit yesterday,” she instructed the BBC. “Sometimes you’ve just got to find a way to win.
“I wished to exit and get a great time right now however I am pleased with the win. I feel I’d’ve been disenchanted if I did not strive.”
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Favourite Olympics memory? Biggest inspiration? Get to know Olympic and World silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson as she prepares for the Paris Games this summer.
Hodgkinson’s gold lifted Great Britain into third in the medal table on the final night of action at the six-day championships.
It is her second major title following her triumph in Munich two years ago, while she has two World Championships silver medals and another from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, when she was just 19.
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Keely Hodgkinson says she wants to turn her silver medal from Tokyo into gold in Paris and will be ‘fearless’ in her approach as she looks to make it happen.
Hodgkinson’s personal best in the 800m currently stands at 10th fastest on the all-time list at 1:55:19 seconds, making her a major medal hope in Paris this summer.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the Games, Hodgkinson said: “When folks take into consideration the day of an Olympic remaining it may be very aggravating. ‘oh god, I’ve labored this whole 12 months for 2 minutes to get it proper’.
“But I think one of my pros is I look forward to it so much that I don’t even think about getting it wrong.
“I will sit down and say to myself ‘properly, I’ve raced these ladies one million occasions’, and I nearly do not give it some thought being this large Olympic remaining.
“It’s just two laps of a track that I’ve done many, many times.”
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