Paula Jane Radcliffe believes Keely Hodgkinson has huge potential to break the world record

British former long-distance runner Paula Jane Radcliffe believes Keely Hodgkinson has huge potential as the Olympic champion aims for a “double” success in 2025. Keely Hodgkinson won gold in the 800m in Paris Olympics last summer and is now aiming to do the same indoors and outdoors at this year’s world championships in Nanjing and Tokyo respectively.

The 22-year-old athlete is also targeting the outdoor world record of 1:53.28 min, set by Czech athlete Jarmila Kratochvílova in 1983, as well as Jolanda Ceplak’s indoor world record of 1:55.82 min. The Briton wants to attack that record at the Keely Klassic in Birmingham in February.

“She had a meteoric rise when she won that Olympic silver medal in Tokyo and then she went on to win multiple silver medals, which would have been a disappointment to a lot of people”, said Paula Jane Radcliffe. “But she built on that, she handled all that pressure and she really showed last year that she could get close to that world record that had been untouchable for so long. She knows what she’s doing with Trev (coach Trevor Painter), but I’m sure they’re going to focus on the championships first because if she’s in shape to win there, she’s got to be in shape to challenge that record”, added she.

Paula Jane Radcliffe did not missed to admire the mental strength of Keely Hodgkinson.

“She’s so strong mentally and physically that we forget how young she is and that she’s still growing and has a lot of potential. It’s really, really exciting. And I think the great thing about Keeley is that she’s very normal, if I may say so. She’s stratospheric in terms of her accomplishments and potential and talent, but she’s also a 22-year-old girl and she really appeals to that audience”, added Paula Jane Radcliffe.