ECSTATIC Keely Hodgkinson reckons she is ready to deal with the life-changing moment of becoming an Olympic track-and-field champion.
And she joked that her dream of getting a speedy Porsche may have to wait a bit – though the luxury car firm have offered her a spin in one of their fast motors.
On the night of her life, the middle-distance runner coped with the pressure and expectation of being the pre-race 800 metres favourite coming into the Paris Games.
And after having to settle for three successive silvers at global championships, she delivered on the biggest stage in front of 70,000 fans at the Stade de France.
She won silver at the Tokyo Games in 2021 as a teenager but this is much, much bigger.
Hodgkinson, 22, said: “It’s life-changing. It changed my life last time.
“Being Olympic champion, no-one can ever take that away from you. It’s the biggest stage ever for our sport.
“I don’t know what it will bring but I’m a lot better prepared than I was last time. I am a couple of years older, a bit more blonder and all that. I think we’re good. It’s all good fun.
“Is this the greatest day of my life? Yeah. I feel like it hasn’t sunk in yet to be honest.
“I have worked so hard for this. I just knew that if I was in the right mind frame I would be very hard to beat. I am super happy.
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“It has been different at these Championships. I had to try to block out the noise. To deliver on that stage means everything.”
Hodgkinson celebrated with her parents in the crowd and her dad “was crying his eyes out even though he’s never normally a crier.”
She is the tenth British woman to become an Olympic champion in athletics.
The Atherton runner, who celebrated with 2004 double gold medallist Kelly Holmes, said: “The British, they love the Olympics. I knew I had been cemented as a favourite.
“It’s the first time I’ve been undefeated going into a championship. I was determined for it to be that way.
“To join Jess and other legends like Kelly (Holmes) is amazing. To share these moments with people and to cement myself into history is really, really special.”
Asked if and when she will get herself a sporty beige Porsche, she laughed: “I don’t know. I haven’t thought about that yet. We’ll see.
“Apparently they want to take me for a test drive. So, I will be down for that.”
