Not many athletes had a better 2024 than British 800m runner Keely Hodgkinson. The 22-year-old from Manchester went undefeated all year, reaching the top of the podium at the Paris Olympics and becoming the first British woman to win a gold medal on the track since Christine Ohuruogu at Beijing 2008. Hodgkinson was already named BBC Sports Personality of the Year, and now she’s being honoured by King Charles.
Keely Hodgkinson, Katarina Johnson Thompson & Dina Asher Smith have been awarded MBEs in the New Year Honours, as has @scotathletics official Sandra Hardacre. pic.twitter.com/xNhkgsyybz
— Fast Running (@FastRunning) December 31, 2024
On Aug. 5 at the Stade de France, Hodgkinson broke away from the reigning world 800m champion Mary Moraa and world indoor champion Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma on the final lap to claim gold in 1:56.72. Duguma took silver and Moraa bronze.
Hodgkinson was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by King Charles in his New Year Honours list for her contribution to athletics. The MBE is an honour awarded by the British monarch to individuals for significant achievements or outstanding service at the local or national level. The MBE is part of the broader Order of the British Empire, which recognizes contributions in various fields, such as arts, science, sports, public service, and more. (The Canadian equivalent is the Order of Canada.)
Other British athletes receiving MBE honours in 2024 include former world 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith and Olympic silver-medallist heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson.
“It’s so amazing to be recognized and to have been given this,” Hodgkinson told the BBC News Manchester. “This year has been incredibly special for so many reasons, and it’s such a nice surprise to have been honoured in this way. Bring on 2025!”
Hodgkinson will now shift her focus to winning gold at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, a feat she has yet to accomplish, having won silver in 2022 and 2023.
