Keely Hodgkinson broke the British record to win Team GB’s first athletics medal of the Tokyo Olympics with silver behind America’s Athing Mu in the 800metres final.
But a personal best by Jemma Reekie was not enough for the bronze, just caught on the line for the last place on the podium.
This was the first time that three British women had ever qualified for an Olympic final but it was Mu, the youngest runner in the race at 19 who dominated the race from start to finish, leading the field throughout to take a deserved and expected gold.
Both Hodgkinson and Reekie found themselves in the perfect position entering the home straight. Another 19-year-old, Hodgkinson admitted in the build-up to the Games that she never would have made it had the Tokyo Olympics taken place last year as anticipated.
But she has blazed a trail indoors and out. Her coach Jenny Meadows had predicted that she would break Kelly Holmes’ longstanding British record and so it proved, slashing a half a second off her national mark for a time of 1:55.88.
Hodgkinson’s time was the eighth fastest of all time, and only three women have ever gone faster than Mu.
Afterwards, the teenager said: “It’s one of those things when you know you’re capable of but it was so open. I wanted to pull it all out and put it out there. I’m so happy. I’m speechless right now. Kelly Holmes is a legend and I spoke to her the last couple of days. I have no words."
For Reekie, it was heartache and she added: “I knew if I executed the race I could have won but you have to learn. Paris isn’t far away.”
There were personal bests for all three British athletes in the race, including Alex Bell, who was not funded and had to work in a sports shop to earn money to compete. She only got the Olympic call-up on July 8 when Laura Muir opted not to double up in the 800 and 1500m.
