Sir Mo Farah left Keely Hodgkinson gobsmacked along with his message following her bronze medal on the World Athletics Championship
Sir Mo Farah underlined his class by sending an encouraging message to Keely Hodgkinson after the 800m sensation’s exhibiting on the World Championships. Hodgkinson was compelled to accept bronze in Tokyo in September, a 12 months after claiming Olympic gold in Paris.
However, it represented a triumph of kinds for the 23-year-old, who had battled by way of an injury-plagued 12 months following her success within the French capital. Her show in Japan and journey again to full health impressed London 2012 legend Farah, who took the time to ship Hodgkinson a voice message praising what she achieved within the Far East.
Throughout a behind-the-scenes coaching session video on her YouTube channel, Hodgkinson was captioned receiving the sudden however appreciated message from the space operating icon. “From Sir Mo Farah, the GOAT,” she remarked whereas checking her cellphone.
“I had no thought he was going to ship it to voice notice,” she chuckled earlier than taking part in the message. Farah could be heard saying: “I do know you wished to win the gold as a result of that is who you might be however to come back away with what you probably did is a fully unbelievable achievement in my view.”
The coaching footage was recorded earlier than she travelled to New York to compete within the women-only Athlos assembly, the place she claimed victory within the 800m in a single minute and 56.53 seconds in simply her sixth occasion of the 12 months.
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Georgia Hunter Bell, a fellow Brit and coaching associate, got here in second, 1.8 seconds behind Hodgkinson, who mentioned: “I’ve barely raced this season so it was most likely much less of a battle for me to go on the market and need to give it one thing.”
After a difficult 2025, each Hodgkinson and British athletics are wanting ahead to a extra profitable 2026, with the Commonwealth Video games in Glasgow and European Championships in Birmingham being the primary occasions.
UK Athletics efficiency director Paula Dunn conceded that it was “time to reset” after Staff GB did not safe a gold medal at a World Championships for the primary time since 2003. The British crew completed twenty first within the Tokyo medal desk, securing 5 podium finishes, together with Hodgkinson’s bronze.
“I can positively say it was a blended bag,” Dunn admitted. “There have been some good factors, but it surely’s a time to reset.
“We might be chatting with all of the coaches and all of the athletes. Requirements are rising. We have been actually unfortunate with the accidents. We did have success in Paris. We simply did not have it right here.
“However we’re the place we’re. Clearly persons are disillusioned, but it surely’s a 12 months one of many cycle, and if you are going to have a disappointing one then that is the one to have, to be truthful.”
On Hodgkinson, he added: “Keely might fairly simply haven’t come. Once I spoke to her in April, when she wasn’t coaching, I advised, as a result of she’s had two large years, and we now have to recollect she’s solely 23 years previous, did she need to miss it?
“And he or she mentioned ‘completely not.’ For her to come back and put her status and all the things on the road, to run unwell, with minimal races, in that form of atmosphere, is wonderful.”