Keely Hodgkinson narrowly misses out on gold at World Championships

Keely Hodgkinson grabbed 800m silver at the World Championships as Kenya’s Mary Moraa took gold.

Great Britain’s Hodgkinson clocked one minute 56.34 seconds with defending champion Athing Mu in third and GB’s Jemma Reekie fifth.

The 21-year-old, from Atherton, has previously won silver medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, last year's world championships and Commonwealth Games, and won gold at the European Championships in 2022.

Hodgkinson said afterwards: “To be consistently up with the best in the world is all I want from my career. [It is] another podium, another medal so that is definitely a positive but I did think I was going to come through on the inside. The line just came quicker than I thought it would.

“I gave it my all, like I always do. I don’t think I put a foot wrong. Another silver – it’s not bronze, it’s not gold – we’re still on the podium.

“I do love it. I was really looking forward to today. I was really up for it. I really did believe I was going to win again – you’ve got to believe, that is half the battle.

“It is a different order to last year, who knows what order it will be next year? One of these days I will get the top spot, today was just not meant to be.

Looking ahead to Paris, she added: “Olympic year – everyone brings even more of their A game than they usually do.

“There is no stone left unturned. Like I say, we’ll aim for gold again and see what happens.”

Keely's status as a Greater Manchester hero was confirmed last year when a mural was painted in Church Street, Atherton, following her incredible successes.

Speaking at last year's reveal of the finished piece on the wall of Hepworth and Hall Opticians, Keely's mum Rachel said: "It's absolutely fantastic, Keely just feels like it's an