"It's a bit weird" - Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson makes feelings clear on 'Keely Klassic' being named after herself

Iconic middle-distance runner from England, Keely Hodgkinson, gave an impressive performance in the Paris Olympics 2024. The two-time Olympic medalist has given her thoughts on an event being named after her, which is set to take place on February 15th.

Hodgkinson cemented her name in the 800m event by clinching a gold medal in Paris. During her recent appearance in the “Athletics Weekly,” the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2024 talked about the Keely Klassic event. She said (0:18 onwards):

“I guess I haven't really processed the thought of my name it's a bit weird when I tell you to people my own name yeah where you're the Keely Classic, that's a bit strange but it was a really nice idea that me and my agency put together and we wanted to make it a reality. I think I've been more focused on just getting race ready, not necessarily what the race is. I think it's going to be such a fun event... I think it's going to be such a good day for British Athletics, so hopefully people enjoy it."

The venue of the athletics event is Utilita Arena Birmingham and will host eminent athletes of track and field. The event intends to provide athletes and their supporters good competition and a thrilling environment. Additionally, it aims to display the rising talents of British athletics.

---

Keely Hodgkinson reflects on her mindset after her gold-medal win in Paris

Keely Hodgkinson at the Athletics - Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 11 - Source: Getty

The two-time gold medalist from the European Championships in the 800m events, Hodgkinson, voiced her perspective after she won her gold medal at the Paris Olympics. She appeared in one of the episodes of “Loose Women” and revealed how she felt regarding her win. She said (2:00 onwards):

“I was like, it's in my mind. I just want to upgrade to gold and last time was three silvers on the go now. So yeah to finally do it, I think I was relieved, I was overjoyed, I was happy. So much adrenaline and I can't even remember what is going on but it really was like one of the best moments of my life.”

The acclaimed 22-year-old middle-distance runner, Keely Hodgkinson broke the 1995 record of Kelly Holmes at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 800m event. Hodgkinson, who is one of the top athletes from Britain, bagged two silver medals in 800m events at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships.