Wigan's Keely Hodgkinson named Sports Personality of the Year after Olympic 800m gold

Wigan's own Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson scooped the Sports Personality of the Year accolade at the awards on Tuesday (December 17).

The Atherton-born athlete, 22, won the hearts of Great Britain and brought the nation to its feet when she clinched gold to become the Olympic 800m champion at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris.

Hodgkinson had been a favourite for the SPOTY title for some time, and her place in the final shortlist was officially confirmed on December 9.

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After winning the award at the ceremony, in Salford, she said: ""I am in a bit of shock. I'm more excited for my coach, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for his guidance.

"Thank you to everyone who voted at home, I hope you enjoyed watching Paris as much as I loved competing in it."

The award caps a stellar 12 months for the 22-year-old in which she claimed gold at the Paris Olympics and successfully defended her European title.

Hodgkinson won all nine of her 800m races this year and her time of one minute 54.61 seconds, run at the Diamond League meeting in London in July, made her the sixth fastest woman in history.

Hodgkinson’s success marks an unprecedented four years in a row that the award has been won by a woman, following Mary Earps in 2023, Beth Mead in 2022 and Emma Raducanu in 2021.

Aged 16, she became the European under-18 champion, while at 17 she won her first national senior title at the British Indoor Championships. She added the outdoor title later in 2020, then the following year Hodgkinson broke into the mainstream with a string of prodigious performances.

Darts prodigy Luke Littler came second in the public vote, while England cricket star Joe Root took the third-place prize at Tuesday’s ceremony in Salford.