Keely Hodgkinson's Olympic success, surprising friendship and new world record attempt

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Keely Hodgkinson is among athletes picking up gongs in the King's New Year's Honours list 2025. The Atherton-born BBC Sports Personality of the Year winner has been awarded an MBE for services to Athletics.

The life-long Manchester United fan won a gold medal in the Women's 800m at this year's Olympics in Paris. The 22-year-old crossed the line in just 1:56:72 - with a mural honouring her achievement going up in the Northern Quarter.

And Olympic gold was not the only accolade for the Greater Manchester-born athlete this year. As well as her MBE, she also won the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year award earlier this month.

Speaking to the Press Association, one of her coaches Jenny Meadows, who alongside husband Trevor Painter were named SPOTY coach-of-the-year winners, told the PA news agency: “Whenever anyone said to her prior to winning the gold medal, ‘you’re a role model, my young daughter watches you, etc’, she’s so nice that she doesn’t see herself in that way.