Keely Hodgkinson crowned winner of BBC SPOTY

The Olympic 800m champion becomes the first person from athletics to secure the award since Mo Farah seven years ago

Keely Hodgkinson has been crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

After a historic season, which culminated with an Olympic 800m gold medal in Paris, Hodgkinson became the first person from athletics since Mo Farah in 2017 to secure the award.

Teenage darts sensation Luke Littler, who won Young Sports Personality of the Year, was second and England’s highest ever test run-scorer Joe Root placed third.

“This year has been absolutely incredible for me,” Hodgkinson said. “I’ve achieved everything I set out to do on the outdoor track, which is quite rare to happen. I’m so grateful to be in this position.”

Hodgkinson’s triumph in Salford isn’t surprising.

Not only did the 22-year-old stand on the top of the Olympic 800m podium – joining Kelly Holmes (2004) and Ann Packer (1964) as just the third British female champion over two laps at the Games – but she went unbeaten in the distance all season.

Outside of that golden moment at the Stade de France, Hodgkinson also lowered her own British 800m record with a scintillating 1:54.61 at the London Diamond League.

In front of a packed partisan crowd, Hodgkinson led a British 1-2-3 over two laps, with Jemma Reekie and Georgia Bell in second and third respectively.

That time put Hodgkinson sixth on the global all-time list in the 800m and there are now hopes that she could get near Jarmila Kratochvílová’s world record – the oldest in the sport – of 1:53.28 from 1983.

Georgia Bell, Keely Hodgkinson and Jemma Reekie (Getty)

Hodgkinson also retained her European 800m title with a gutsy run at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

Defying illness, the Brit clocked 1:58.65 to see off the challenge from Slovakia’s Gabriela Gajanová and France’s Anaïs Bourgoin.

That drive and determination to succeed against the odds makes Hodgkinson a worthy winner of BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Athletics has a rich history in the event and Hodgkinson is now the 19th person from athletics to win the award in the 71-year history of the event.

Keely Hodgkinson (Getty)

“One of the greatest things about tonight is representing track and field and putting out sport out there,” she told AW on the red carpet. “It’s not just about me but all of the athletes in the sport.

“I’ve dared to dream big. I grew up watching the likes of Jessica Ennis-Hill and she really inspired me. London 2012 was the reason I got back into the sport.

“Did I think all of this would happen so soon? No. Just to be in this position now is a privilege and hopefully I have a career with many more medals and records.”

“Each silver medal that I had has meant something different. Tokyo was obviously a whirlwind and then one in Oregon, I was like ‘okay, we’ve closed the gap’. Budapest, I was unhappy with that one. I wanted to win and maybe made a few mistakes looking back. That really gave me that extra boost this year to go for it and you’ve seen that in my performances.”

Jenny Meadows with Trevor Painter and Keely Hodgkinson (Getty)

Hodgkinson’s coaches Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows were crowned BBC Sports Personality Coaches of the Year, following in the footsteps of the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola.

The pair coached Hodgkinson, Georgia Bell and Lewis Davey to respective Olympic 800m gold, 1500m bronze and 4x400m bronze medals in Paris.

Mondo Duplantis also won the BBC Sports Personality World Sport Star of the Year, becoming the first person from athletics to claim the award since Eliud Kipchoge in 2019.

“I’m so honoured to win this award,” he told the BBC. “I know it means a lot and I’m in great company with the some of the biggest legends in the history of sport.”