Greater Manchester's pride as Keely Hodgkinson wins GOLD at Olympic Games

Keely Hodgkinson is the pride of Greater Manchester tonight after clinching gold at the Paris Olympics. The 22-year-old, from Atherton, was one of Team GB's biggest medal hopes in the track and field events for 2024.

She claimed a new British record at the Diamond League Games just two weeks ago and was hoping to build on her silver medal-winning run in Tokyo 2020. And the middle distance runner did just that.

Hodgkinson was roared over the line by an army of British athletics fans at the Stade De France. She crossed the finish at 1:56.72.

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The former Fred Longworth High School pupil and Leigh Harriers runner defeated Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma, who finished second with her personal best time of 1:57.15. Kenya's Mary Moraa claimed bronze at 1:57.42.

Hodgkinson had been favourite for the gold medal. She jostled for position early in the race and led for much of the event.

She was the fastest finisher in the fourth of six heats at Stade De France yesterday, crossing the line in 1:59.31. She cut that to 1:56.86 in today's semi-final, before finding another 0.14 seconds in the final.

Prior to the Paris Olympics, Hodgkinson said: "I might be young, but I have spent so many years working towards this. I have a few World silvers behind me now and it would really mean so much to me to upgrade that to a gold. It would be life-changing."