Highlights
- Keely Hodgkinson has told Sky Sports that comments questioning her work ethic "really irritate" her
- She says she posts on Instagram "purely just for fun" and that athletes have "a lot of time to kill away from the track"
- Her 2026 includes an indoor 800m world record, World Indoor gold, a British outdoor record and an Athlos win
- Next up are the 2027 World Championships in Beijing
What she said
Speaking to Sky Sports, Hodgkinson, 24, addressed the online reaction to her holiday and travel photos. She said she uses social media "purely just for fun" and does not think too deeply about it. "Believe it or not, athletes do have a lot of time to kill away from the track," she said.
The comments she singles out are the ones questioning her commitment. "I get a lot of comments about that, which really irritates me," she said of questions over her work ethic. "I'm like, 'If only you'd known what I'd done today [in training]!'"
She added that the idea of an athlete training constantly is not sustainable, that she and her friends "love to mess about," and that even on training camps there is plenty of downtime. She started a YouTube channel a year ago, she said, to show people what life as a professional athlete is really like. Her Instagram account has more than 700,000 followers, according to reports of the interview.
The answer is in the results
Her season gives a detailed reply to anyone doubting her dedication.
| Date | Event | Result |
|---|---|---|
| February 19 | Liévin, France | Indoor 800m world record, 1:54.87 |
| March 22 | World Indoors, Toruń | 800m gold, 1:55.30, the second-fastest indoor time in history |
| June 7 | Stockholm Diamond League | British outdoor record, 1:54.33, second to Audrey Werro |
| July 18 | London Athletics Meet | 800m win, 1:56.21 |
| August 14 | European Championships, Birmingham | 800m silver, 1:55.01, behind Werro's championship record |
| September 11 | Ultimate Championship, Budapest | 800m silver, 1:56.26, after missing two Diamond League meetings |
| September 18 | Athlos, London | 800m win in 1:56.40, in her new speed suit |
The world record had a neat symmetry: it beat Jolanda Čeplak's mark from March 3, 2002, the day Hodgkinson was born. At the World Indoors, she also ran the fastest split of the 4x400m relay final that night, 50.10 seconds, as Britain finished fifth.
Keely Hodgkinson of Team Great Britain competes in the Women's 800 Metres Semi-Final Heat 1 during Day 1 of the World Athletics Ultimate Championship at National Athletics Centre on September 11, 2026 in Budapest, Hungary. Getty Images
The injury behind the season
Hodgkinson missed the Diamond League meetings in Brussels and Zurich with a hamstring tear before returning in Budapest. In September she revealed that an MRI scan after her 2025 hamstring injury had found an abnormality: her hamstring is split, giving her two tendons. If one tears, she can still keep running, but it may leave her more prone to injury.
The speed suit and the style
Her black Nike speed suit, which debuted at Athlos, prompted debate over whether it complied with the rules, though nothing has come to light to suggest it breaches regulations, and Hodgkinson has said she is confident it does. Reports say it was developed with Nike over a year and tested at a training camp in South Africa. She said she wanted to be comfortable but also "a little bit sexy."
There is a catch for the Olympics. Several outlets report that because Team GB's Olympic kit partner is Adidas, she will not be able to wear the Nike suit for Britain at Los Angeles 2028, though she could wear a different speed suit. Nike launched a clothing and footwear line she designed with the brand in July.
Style has long been part of her approach. "I get ready for a track meet as if I'm going out," she has said, treating the track like a stage.
Gold medalist Gold medalist Keely Hodgkinson of Team Great Britain (C), Silver medalist Tsige Duguma of Team Ethiopia (L) and Bronze medalist Mary Moraa of Team Kenya (R) celebrate on the podium during the Women's 800m medal ceremony on day eleven of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on August 06, 2024 in Paris, France.Getty Images
What's next
After a long season, Hodgkinson will balance rest and training through the winter ahead of the 2027 World Championships in Beijing. Her rivalry with Werro and the Netherlands' Femke Broeders-Bol, which she has called "great for our sport," will be one of the stories to watch.
Who is Keely Hodgkinson?
Hodgkinson was born on March 3, 2002 in Atherton, Greater Manchester, and joined Leigh Harriers at nine. She won Olympic silver at Tokyo 2020 aged 19, breaking Kelly Holmes's British record, and Olympic gold in Paris in 2024 with a time of 1:56.72. She is a two-time European outdoor champion, was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2024 and was awarded an MBE. An injury-hit 2025 still brought her a World Championships bronze.
