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BBC Sports Personality of the Year winner Keely Hodgkinson makes new major career announcement

Keely Hodgkinson after receiving the award for BBC Sports Personality of the Year
-Credit:David Davies/PA Wire


Keely Hodgkinson, fresh from being crowned Sports Personality of the Year, is gearing up to smash the world 800 metres short-track record at an inaugural event named 'Keely Klassic' on February 15. The existing record of 1:55.82 was set by Jolanda Ceplak of Slovenia back on March 3, 2002 – coincidentally, the very day Hodgkinson was born.

The Olympic 800 metres gold medallist revealed plans for the event, selected to be at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham, following her SPOTY accolade. During the ceremony, her mentors, Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows, also received the Coach of the Year award.

"I’m beyond excited to announce the Keely Klassic, my first track race since becoming Olympic champion," Hodgkinson shared enthusiastically.

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"This event is all about bringing energy, passion, and top-tier athletics to the fans. It will be an unforgettable experience for everyone involved, with some of the UK’s best athletes competing, and a special focus on the 800m.

"I’m also thrilled to attempt to break the world record – this is an opportunity for me to take my career to the next level while giving back to the sport that has given me so much."

Sporting a personal best of 1:57.18 in the distance – which stands as a national record – set last year at the Birmingham World Indoor Tour final, the 22-year-old's previous season was cut short post-Paris due to a "small injury".

The Keely Klassic has been confirmed as a World Athletics Indoor Tour bronze-level meeting and is scheduled for the week prior to the British Indoor Championships at the same venue. The event's listing on the Utilita Arena website boasts that the day will feature "marquee British track and field stars joining Keely to compete in various track and field disciplines" and promises to offer "a unique, immersive experience for fans".

Keely Hodgkinson isn't the only athlete – or Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY) winner – to be hosting an event on next year’s tour. Armand Duplantis, the Swedish pole vaulter who broke world records and clinched the World Sport Star of the Year award on Tuesday night, is set to host his ‘Mondo Classic’ pole vault gala once again at Uppsala’s IFU Arena in March, marking its fourth occurrence.

It's been a monumental year for Hodgkinson on a professional level - but her latest announcement shows she is as keen as ever to take her career as a track runner to new heights.