Hodgkinson wins 800m gold to end wait for global title

Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson dominated the Olympic 800m final to win gold in Paris and end her wait for a global title.

The 22-year-old had finished second at successive World Championships after claiming a stunning silver on her Olympic debut as a teenager in Tokyo three years ago.

But Hodgkinson put that series of near-misses on the sport’s biggest stages behind her as she took charge of the final and would not relent as Kenyan rival Mary Moraa threatened to pass on the outside.

Crossing the line in one minute 56.72 seconds, Hodgkinson could not hide her emotion as the magnitude of her achievement struck – having matched Kelly Holmes’ 800m gold in Athens 20 years ago.

Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma (1:57.15) won silver behind Hodgkinson, who instinctively punched the air in delight and donned a crown as she celebrated with the crowd, while world champion Moraa (1:57.42) was third at Stade de France.

Hodgkinson, already a four-time European champion in as many years as a professional, posed for photos and signed autographs as she savoured the golden moment she has long dreamed of.

This was Great Britain’s first Olympic track title since Mo Farah won the 5,000m and 10,000m double at Rio 2016, and Hodgkinson becomes only the 10th British woman to win athletics gold at a Games.

It had felt a case of when, not if, Hodgkinson would take her place at the pinnacle of the sport ever since she celebrated Olympic silver aged just 19 on her debut at a global championship in Tokyo.

Denied by Athing Mu on that occasion, and again by the American – by just 0.08 seconds – at the 2022 World Championships, it was Moraa who got the better of Hodgkinson in Budapest last year as her wait for one of the sport’s major prizes went on.

She has broken her duck – at last.

The emotion could be seen on Hodgkinson’s face metres from the finish. With victory confirmed, three years of dedication and dreaming came pouring out.

The favourite for gold as the fastest woman in the world this year – running a full second quicker than anyone else – her chances of victory were further increased by the absence of Mu.

A fall at the US trials had cost the reigning Olympic champion the chance to defend her crown and it was world champion Moraa who looked to provide the main obstacle to gold in Paris.

But this time the Briton would not be denied.

Hodgkinson took charge of the race after 300m, led at the bell, and from there she refused to be moved – even when Moraa attempted to pull alongside her.

It is still early in her career, but Hodgkinson is impatient in her bid to establish herself as one of the greatest British athletes of all time.

And – now that has the world-beating gold she desperately desired – it is difficult not to get excited about where she may still go from here.