Keely Hodgkinson - The Pride of Leigh

[carterhatch]

National Record! Keely Hodgkingson 1:55.77!

This young lady is deserving of her own thread on this forum.

A superb run in the Paris DL and, as noted above, improves her own w800 National Record.

We are very lucky to have her ...

[libarun]

Maybe she'll never beat Mu (wouldn't bet against it though), but I love how clearly furious she is at the idea of a career of silver medals. A phenomenal athlete and competitor.

[Christy93]

Not convinced Mu will have the longest career. She seems to lack motivation.

[libarun]

I could see Mu retiring relatively early too, but I reckon Keely wants Olympic gold by beating her rather than because she's the best left after Mu moves on

[jjimbojames]

At this stage, I think Keely will just take the gold and not care who else is there!

[Christy93]

A remarkable athlete 💫💫💫

[Occasional Hope]

Tonight’s run was amazing, even more so for a season opener.

[LuckySpikes]

Maybe she'll never beat Mu (wouldn't bet against it though), but I love how clearly furious she is at the idea of a career of silver medals. A phenomenal athlete and competitor.

I think Keely will beat her in Budapest ... 1:55.77 as a season opener. This is a new level for Keely.

[Runner88]

I think Keely has every chance of beating Mu in Budapest too. She has never been streets behind her anyway.

Where was Moraa tonight? Surprised we haven’t seen her on the circuit yet.

[LuckySpikes]

Mary Moraa won in Rabat and also at the gold meetings in Nairobi & Gaborone.

[Runner88]

Sorry I meant in Europe. Not a given that she has to run extensively across Europe but her early races suggested she was in very good shape

[MR_ME]

It looks like her olympic silver was just the beginning. A phenomenal athlete who hasn't reached her peak yet.

[treadwater1]

The thing that stands out to me is Hodgkinson’s two previous quickest times came when she attempting to chase down Mu, this time she was the only one in the race with 300 to go.

[MysteryBrick]

If I was Mu this would have me seriously worried. Keely looks like she'll have a 1:54 in her this year.

[carterhatch]

It is Silver again in Budapest. Keely's time will come, she is still so young. World Indoors in Glasgow then Paris Olympics, gold at both, sorted.

[jjimbojames]

The others are all about the same age, though! She needs to sort her tactics and run her race - if she’s not careful, Mary will have a psychological advantage, if she hasn’t already

[jjimbojames]

Watch her race in Paris, when she ran 1.55 - she surged just past the bell. Today, she slowed and waited. She needs to push it down the back straight and be ahead at 600m

[libarun]

Paris was paced, with wavelights. She didn't go through in 56 flat.

In Paris she also did not have to contend with Mu and Moraa running across lanes 2 and 3 after the bell. I am less convinced she could've pushed past them from 500m running that wide and not then been outkicked by Mary in the straight after expending all that energy. Maybe she timed her move incorrectly but right now, Mary just looks the stronger of the two.

Maybe she's just putting on a good face, but Keely in her interview did not seem to think she'd got her race tactically wrong.

[jjimbojames]

She was ahead of the lights on the second lap in Paris - they didn’t help her!

[carterhatch]

When I say young, I mean she has multiple opportunities... nothing like delayed gratification. The 'narrative' is building to keep BBC montage-makers in business for another year... I strongly urge she build Glasgow 2024 into her scheudle, get 'the monkey off her back' [if there is one] with a gold there, and then Paris Olympics, the fairytale.

I also remind myself there were too many years when we didnt even have a runner who could go sub2... Jemma Reekie will be a further 12 months on her upward trajectory.

Thank you, Ladies.

[jjimbojames]

In her interview, Jemma said her aim for this year was to get back to consistent sub-2…well, she’s smashed that. Bodes well for next year.

It does make me wish Laura went down to the South coast with her, rather than Loughborough….

[philipo]

I think Keely will beat her in Budapest ... 1:55.77 as a season opener. This is a new level for Keely.

Why all the underestimation of Moraa. This is not the shitheads of Letsrun. Mary was the best there today and KH ran it a tad wrong.A great race anyway

[jjimbojames]

Agreed KH didn’t get it right. At this rate, Mary is gaining more and more confidence

[alfie]

Does anyone really underestimate Moraa ? I agree she was best today. Whether Keely could have found a way to upset her I am really not sure , however she ran it. But there isn't any huge gap and Paris will be another round in the battle...

[LuckySpikes]

I didn't mention Mary Moraa in that post. But hey, the first part of my statement was correct!

[philipo]

When I say young, I mean she has multiple opportunities... nothing like delayed gratification. The 'narrative' is building to keep BBC montage-makers in business for another year... I strongly urge she build Glasgow 2024 into her scheudle, get 'the monkey off her back' [if there is one] with a gold there, and then Paris Olympics, the fairytale.

I also remind myself there were too many years when we didnt even have a runner who could go sub2... Jemma Reekie will be a further 12 months on her upward trajectory.

Thank you, Ladies.

Next year is going to be fun in the 800m women
Roll on Paris !