The Olympic 800m champion had a superb season that culminated in a stunning gold over two laps in Paris.
Keeley Hodgkinson is one of six nominees for this year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
The 22-year-old football player after three consecutive silver medals in the world championships. secured that coveted gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
In a stunning performance, Hodgkinson clocked 1:56.72 to see off the challenges of Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma and Kenya’s Mary Moraa, who had previously beaten the Briton to the world and Commonwealth titles.
After her victory in Paris, Hodgkinson joined Kelly Holmes (2004) and Ann Packer (1964) as the third British women’s Olympic champion in the 800 m.
Keeley Hodgkinson celebrates with Trevor Pinter (Getty)
It was also Great Britain’s first track and field gold at the Olympics since Mo Farah in 2016 and the first by a female athlete since Jessica Ennis-Hill in 2012.
Hodgkinson’s win at the Stade de France and his subsequent decision to finish the season in Paris meant he went an entire season unbeaten over 800m.
Just before the Games, the Brit lowered her national record to 1:54.61 at the London Diamond League, with compatriots Gemma Rickey and Georgia Bell in second and third respectively.
At the time, Hodgkinson was No. 6 on the all-time world 800m list and now there are hopes she can close in on Yarmila Kratochvilova’s world record, the oldest in the sport, 1:53.28 from 1983.
Hodgkinson also retained his European 800m title with a gutsy run at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico.
Georgia Bell, Keely Hodgkinson and Gemma Rickey (Getty)
Defying illness, the Briton clocked 1:58.65 to take on Slovakia’s Gabriela Gayanova and France’s Anais Bourgoin.
If Hodgkinson were to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, he would become the 19th winner in athletics.
The last track and field athlete to win the coveted trophy was Farah in 2017.
Other previous winners in athletics include Christopher Chattaway (1954), Gordon Peary (1955), Dorothy Hyman (1963), Mary Rand (1964), David Hemery (1968), Mary Peters (1972), Brendan Foster (1974), Steve. Ovett (1978), Seb Coe (1979), Daley Thompson (1982), Steve Cram (1983), Fatima Whitbread (1987), Liz McColgan (1991), Linford Christie (1993), Jonathan Edwards (1995), Paula Radcliffe ( 2002) and Holmes (2004).
Alex Yee (Getty)
Alex Yee is also hoping to become the first triathlete to win the prestigious award.
The 26-year-old had a spectacular season and was crowned both the Olympic and individual world triathlon champion.
He also took part in the Great Britain relay team that secured a bronze medal in Paris.
The other four candidates are Luke Littler, Sarah Storey, Jude Bellingham and Joe Root.
Hodgkinson’s biggest challenger for this year’s award is likely to be Littler, who has been a star in darts this year.
Not only did Littler make his first World Cup final at the age of 16, he also has 10 major trophies.
This year, the BBC Sports Person of the Year will take place in Manchester on December 17.
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