Keely Hodgkinson wins European Championship gold in 800m - despite falling ill and despite only deciding to compete 10 minutes before the start of the race Hodgkinson won the race by 0.14sec and she was slower than her semi-final run She revealed that she had endured a tough 24 hours in the build-up to the race The 22-year-old will now turn her attention to success at the summer's Olympics By David Coverdale Published: 22:31, 12 June 2024 | Updated: 22:31, 12 June 2024 e-mail View comments It was meant to be the banker of the sporting summer. Keely Hodgkinson's European superiority is such that her odds to defend her 800metres title were as short as 1-33 on.
Well, those who bet the family silver on a Hodgkinson gold were made to sweat on Wednesday night. On paper, it should have been a two-lap procession. The Brit's personal best coming into the 800m final at the European Championships was more than three seconds faster than the rest of the field.
Victory in Rome was seen as obvious as the fella down the road being a Catholic. In reality, it was much more of a struggle for Hodgkinson, who fell ill in the hours leading up to the race. The 22-year-old still led from gun to tape in the Stadio Olimpico, but she had to dig much deeper than she ever expected to emulate her win in Munich two years ago.
Keely Hodgkinson won European 800m gold on Wednesday but was made to work for it Her victory had been certain, but she fell ill in the build-up to the race and revealed she was undeci.
