KEELY HODGKINSON says being branded “beautiful” by fashion icon Giorgio Armani was the craziest thing to happen to her since becoming Olympic 800 metres champion.
From the running track to the catwalk, Britain’s athletics superstar is hot property these days and was invited to Milan in September by a major fashion brand.
As someone comfortable in both spikes and stilettos, Hodgkinson was surprised to be noticed by the famous Italian designer who was enthralled with her epic display in Paris.
Hodgkinson, 22, said: “The craziest thing that has happened to me? I’m going to say when I met Giorgio Armani . . .
“He came over to me and put his hand on my cheek and called me ‘Bella’ (pretty in English). Which I thought was really nice.
“He’s just a little man. I met him in Milan at Fashion Week briefly. He can’t speak English but he’s quite into his sport. He’s a lot older now, he’s 90 years old, but he looks great.
“He’s still heavily involved in his work. That was a really cool moment.”
It is one wonderful example that sums up the mad celebrity world that Hodgkinson now inhabits.
But she has earned that as only NINE other women have won an Olympic gold medal in Team GB colours in track and field over 60 years.
It is why she is the front-runner to be named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, which is being held close to her apartment in Salford, tonight.
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If it happens, and darts star Luke Littler is a strong challenger, she will become the fourth woman in a row to receive the accolade — a record — but ten less than the men’s longest stretch.
And her training mentor Trevor Painter, who masterminded three Olympic medallists this summer, is likely to be named Coach of the Year.
Hodgkinson said: “If I go back to the beginning of the year when I started training, it didn’t go my way at all.
“I spent a couple of months out with injury. But I just kept trusting the process and training got better.
“About a month out, I realised I was in really good shape.
“It’s the first time in a year where I’ve actually achieved everything I’ve set out to achieve on the outdoor track, which is quite special and doesn’t happen very often.”
In 2025, Hodgkinson will attempt to win a hat-trick of gold medals at European and World Indoor level and then it is the World Outdoor Championships in September.
And the controversial 800m world record of 1min 53.28sec — set in 1983 by Jarmila Kratochvilova of the Czech Republic — is within her sights.
The question is whether she can do it in the next 12 months or closer to the LA 2028 Games.
Hodgkinson, whose current PB is 1:54.61, said: “Medals can never be taken away from you, so that will always be a top priority. I don’t have a World Championship gold yet.
“I do think 1.53 is possible — but obviously it takes a special race.
“You’ve got to be in perfect shape, with perfect conditions, the right race for all that to come together.”
BBC Sports Personality of the Year will be available to watch live tonight from 7pm on BBC One and iPlayer
