Tokyo 2020 - Keely Hodgkinson a force to be reckoned with and a future champion, says Greg Rutherford after 800m silver
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Updated 03/08/2021 at 19:29 GMT
Eurosport's Greg Rutherford believes Keely Hodgkinson is a future world or Olympic champion after her stunning silver in the 800m. "She runs like somebody who's been doing the event professionally for the last 15 years," he told Tokyo Today. You want it? We have it. Stream every Olympic event live on discovery+.
'A brilliant day' Greg Rutherford on an unforgettable day of athletics action
Eurosport expert Greg Rutherford is convinced Great Britain's 800m silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson will be 'a force to be reckoned with' and is tipping the teenager to become a future Olympic champion.
The 19-year-old smashed Dame Kelly Holmes' British record to claim a surprise spot on the podium and pick up Team GB's first athletics medal of Tokyo 2020.
Hodgkinson was one of a trio of Brits to contest the final alongside Alex Bell and Jemma Reekie, with the latter just missing out on bronze to Raevyn Rogers.
American Athing Mu, also 19, won gold with a time of 1:55.21 to edge out Hodgkinson, who came in at 1:55.88.
It was a performance that left Rutherford waxing lyrical about the Wigan teenager on Eurosport's Tokyo Today.
"We've been desperate for a medal, when it comes to the Great Britain team, and we had the women's [800m] - we had a great chance because we had three of the girls in there," said Rutherford.
"All three of them (are) really incredible athletes, they've given their heart and soul to this Olympic Games to desperately try and get us a medal, and it happened to be young Keely Hodgkinson, 19 years of age, comes out and gets us a silver medal.
"Not only that, she breaks the British record as well. It was so fast, so good and for 19, for her to be able to run as smart as she does, she runs like somebody who's been doing the event professionally for the last 15 years.
She is going to be a force to be reckoned with, I promise you, she will be a world or Olympic champion within the next 10-15 years, she is that good."
Hodgkinson is GB's first Olympic medallist across the 800m since Holmes struck gold at Athens in 2004 and was quick to pay tribute to the iconic runner, and also highlight that she had an inner belief she would succeed despite not being identified as someone to get on the podium.
She said: “I’m so happy I managed to do what I was capable of. I wasn’t one of the favourites going into this, but I knew I could do something like this and I’m really, really happy I did.
"I knew it was going to be fast. That’s the quickest I’ve gone through the bell. I’m happy I committed, I wanted to commit and put everything out there."
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