Keely Hodgkinson took a sensational silver medal for Great Britain in the women’s 800m at Tokyo 2020 as American Athing Mu won gold in dominant fashion.
As the pre-race favourite, the tall and rangy Mu, 19, took the lead early and split in 57.82 seconds after 400m, holding her position at the front and coming home in an American record in 1:55.21.
Hodgkinson, also 19, took up a brilliant position with 200m to go and kicked hard off the bend to move from fourth into second and finished strongly to break Kelly Holmes’ British record in 1.55.88.
Jemma Reekie just missed out on bronze, finishing fourth in 1:56.90, as American Raevyn Rogers pulled off a late comeback, finishing in 1:56.81.
While the third British athlete in the race, Alex Bell, completed an impressive Games after replacing Laura Muir with another personal best in seventh with 1:57.66.
A blossoming rivalry between Hodgkinson and Mu will surely now develop with the Team GB star shocked at her achievement at such a young age.
Hodgkinson said: “It was such a good race, it was so open, I just wanted to put it all out there. It’ll take a couple of days to sink in. I’m so happy.
“I’m speechless right now, Kelly is a legend, I’ve looked up to her, I’ve spoken to her in the last couple of days. It means so much.
“My friends are going to be like, ‘what is she crying for?’ but it means so much.
“If the Olympics was last year, I wouldn’t be here. It has given me a chance to grow and compete with these girls.
“I am not just 19, Athing is 19 too, so teenagers taking on the podium is incredible and hopefully we have got many battles ahead of us.”
