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Keely Hodgkinson might have secured Great Britain’s only athletics gold in Paris but there were plenty of silver linings for Team GB.
‘Queen Keely’ shrugged off enormous expectations to shine as brightly as the crown tossed from the crowd to complete the Atherton athlete’s coronation following her 800 metres triumph.
In France, the girl once inspired by Jessica Ennis-Hill at London 2012 became the heptathlete’s successor as the most recent British woman to win track and field gold.
Altogether there were 10 medals – that gold, four silvers, five bronzes, and a clean sweep of five podiums from five relays for a best haul since 1984.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s hard-earned heptathlon silver meant everything to an athlete who had fought back from injury and moved across the Atlantic twice in a matter of months before finally reaching a podium at her fourth Olympics.
Matthew Hudson-Smith had been through “three years of hell” and emerged with a maiden Olympic medal of his own.
The Wolverhampton runner was tipped to win the 400 metres, instead emerging with silver to complete a remarkable comeback and ignite a spark the 29-year-old vowed will burn even brighter at Los Angeles 2028.
Josh Kerr’s scripted two-man 1500 metres showdown with rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen was spoiled by a Grant Hocker shocker to beat both men to the line, but perhaps the sport was better served by the surprise ending – and the proud Scotsman himself said he had nothing more to give.
There were disappointments, of course – medal favourite Molly Caudery’s shock exit from the pole vault heats among them – but some great surprises, too.
Emile Cairess’ fourth in the men’s marathon was the best for a British man in 20 years , while Jacob Fincham-Dukes, who receives no National Lottery funding, will surely be owed a round of after-work drinks when he returns to his day job as the fifth-best long jumper at the Games.
Georgia Bell – whose initials are literally GB – may be having a different sort of conversation with the cybersecurity firm who employed her full-time as recently as May after she collected 1500 metres bronze on the final day at the track.
Meanwhile, Phoebe Gill, Louie Hinchliffe and Charlie Dobson firmly established themselves as central players in the next generation of British track and field talent.
Noah Lyles – even with Covid-19 – has led the ushering-in of what World Athletics president Lord Coe branded a “golden generation” of American talent in Paris.
Like the 100 metres champion or not, it gives athletics a fighting chance of remaining in the future hosts’ consciousness as the torch is passed from Paris to Los Angeles on Sunday night.
