World Athletics Championships: Keely Hodgkinson hopes to be one of Britain's greatest athletes

A version of this article was published on 21 July 2023.

"I just want to win as many medals as possible and become one of Britain's greatest athletes," the 21-year-old tells BBC Sport.

The mix of shock and delight on Hodgkinson's face after she stormed clear of her rivals to clock a British 800m record in her opening race of the season in Paris, running one minute 55.77 seconds, told its own story.

Her frightening potential continues to surprise even herself.

Hodgkinson is one of athletics' most exciting prospects - yet she is already an Olympic, world and Commonwealth silver medallist, the reigning European champion indoor and outdoor, and has a world record to her name.

As another World Championships approaches, her meteoric rise is only increasing in velocity.

Rarely fazed by her opponents or environment, it is easy to forget how quickly this has all come to Hodgkinson, who was not lottery funded before making the Olympic podium in 2021.

"Last year was quite challenging for me," Hodgkinson says. "We had a very busy season with three major championships, which was mentally challenging on its own.

"But also I feel like I was 19 one minute and now I'm 21. I feel like I've had to grow up quite quickly.

"I don't really know where the last two years have gone and I feel like I'm a completely different person.

"I've learned it's important for me to have balance in my life, having time with friends and family which doesn't involve talking about athletics, training or when my next race is.

"That's how I've found I'm able to sustain it mentally."

Despite being still in the infancy of her career, only American Athing Mu and Kenya's Mary Moraa denied Hodgkinson total global dominance within her first two years as a professional athlete.

After crossing the line an agonising 0.08 seconds behind Mu at last year's delayed World Championships in Oregon, Hodgkinson will aim to upgrade her medal in Budapest, having clocked the fastest time in the world this year.

It is an achievement which would signify much more than a first global title.

"It would mean a lot," says Hodgkinson. "I would probably cry, actually, after two years of dedication and so much hard work.

"There are some really good athletes out there who are really hard to beat, so it would just be nice to finally come out on top and upgrade the silver."

It is the competition with Mu, 21, which has attracted particular attention, not least because it is a rivalry which could define the event for years to come.

However, there remains uncertainty over whether Mu, who has competed just twice in 2023 and only once over 800m since winning world gold, will compete in Budapest.

"It does excite me. I don't know if it excites her," Hodgkinson says with a laugh.

"I like competition - that's what I relish the most. If you lose you lose, but at least put yourself out there to try.

"I'm still really proud of what I did last year. I don't think I put a foot wrong in that race and my coaches don't either. Knowing that, I can accept it.

"Now it's about how I make up that 0.08 seconds. I'm in better shape but you never know what everyone else will bring and anything can happen at a championships."

Hodgkinson has not relented in 2023, resuming her bid for medals with a series of emphatic victories.

The Leigh athlete, coached by Trevor Painter and world 800m medallist Jenny Meadows, went undefeated in 10 races over the first half of the year.

That streak included the successful defence of her European title and breaking the 600m world record during a dominant indoor campaign.

But despite often winning by significant margins, her frustration at not quite matching her own lofty personal expectations was evident.

"It was annoying me at the time," says Hodgkinson. "Looking back, I shouldn't have been pulling those faces because I had a really good indoor season, but I knew there was more in there and I felt as though I was wasting an opportunity.

"Jenny always reminds me that when you're on top and winning you should enjoy that because you never know when it might be taken away.

"This sport is brutal like that - everything can be taken away in a moment - so I know it's about enjoying the moment and hopefully I can avoid injuries, illnesses and any other setbacks."

Hodgkinson's stunning outdoor curtain-raiser in June, in the city where next year she will target Olympic success, came as a visible surprise to her, with that national record achieved despite a quadricep issue forcing a delay to her season.

Only Moraa, in Lausanne in June, has managed to beat Hodgkinson this year, and her erratic style of racing will offer a significant challenge in Budapest.

While illness did rob Hodgkinson of the chance to compete in front of a sell-out 50,000 crowd at the London Diamond League last month, that was a precautionary decision taken to prioritise the World Championships.

Setbacks have generally proven rare for Hodgkinson, who, at this exciting moment in her career, only sees opportunities.

"To have two Olympics and two World Championships in the space of four years, that's a big opportunity. There's no waiting around," she says.

"On the track is where I feel the most comfortable. I'm in control of everything.

"It all comes down to a lot of self confidence and belief but, whatever happens, as long as I do my best, I'll be happy."

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