Hodgkinson wins Sports Personality of the Year 2024

Olympic 800m gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson has been voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2024.

The 22-year-old ended her wait for a global title by taking the title at Paris 2024.

She had previously won successive World Championship silvers after also finishing runner-up on her Olympic debut in Tokyo three years ago.

Hodgkinson also retained her European 800m title in Rome and became the sixth-fastest woman of all-time when she improved her British record to one minute 54.61 seconds at the London Diamond League.

“I am in a bit of shock,” Hodgkinson told BBC One.

“I am more excited for my coach as I wouldn’t be here without his guidance.

“This year has been incredible and I achieved everything I set out to do on the outdoor track. I hope you loved watching Paris.”

Darts player Luke Littler was second, with England cricketer Joe Root third.

Sarah Storey, Alex Yee and Jude Bellingham were also shortlisted for the award by a panel of experts, with the winner decided by a public vote.

Hodgkinson is the fourth successive woman to win the award after Mary Earps (2023), Beth Mead (2022) and Emma Raducanu (2021).

The Leigh athlete’s coaches, Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows, were recognised with the Coach of the Year award earlier in the night.

Hodgkinson went undefeated over 800m in a sensational year which culminated in the Olympic gold she had been determined to achieve following a series of near-misses.

Having retained the European gold which in 2022 represented her first major outdoor title, she triumphed in dominant fashion in Paris to deliver Team GB’s first Olympic track title since Mo Farah’s 5,000m and 10,000m double at Rio 2016.

She became only the 10th British woman to win an athletics gold at an Olympics – and first since Jessica Ennis-Hill at London 2012.

A little-known teenager when she announced herself with Olympic silver in Tokyo, Hodgkinson rapidly established herself as one of the world’s best as she battled ‘Big Three’ rivals Athing Mu and Mary Moraa for the sport’s biggest prizes.

But she has remained unwavering in her determination to take that next step on the podium in her pursuit of becoming one of Britain’s most decorated athletes.

Now, with the improved British record she set at the London Diamond League in July, athletics’ longest-standing world record – Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvilova ran 1:53.28 in 1983 – could be within Hodgkinson’s sights.

Next year offers further opportunities for glory with indoor and outdoor World Championships for Hodgkinson to target as a new Olympic cycle begins.