Keely Hodgkinson (MBE)
Olympian and former student of Fred Longworth High School.
Keely Hodgkinson (MBE)
Olympian and former student of Fred Longworth High School.
Keely Hodgkinson (MBE)
Olympian and former student of Fred Longworth High School.
Keely Hodgkinson (MBE) is one of Britain’s most successful middle-distance runners, best known for winning Olympic gold in the 800 metres and is widely recognised as one of the most dominant and popular stars in modern British track and field. Over the course of her career, she has consistently broken records and stood on global podiums. She has captured 11 senior international medals, including Olympic Gold, and holds multiple national and global records, some of these achivements are listed below:
- World Indoor Record Holder: Set the 800m world indoor short track record of 1:54.87 in Liévin on 19 February 2026.
- British Outdoor Record Holder: Ran a blistering 1:54.33 on 7 June 2026, making her the fastest British woman in history over 800m.
- World Best (600m): Holds the world indoor best for the 600m distance with a time of 1:23.41, set in January 2023.
- Diamond League Champion: Crowned the overall 800m Diamond League Champion in 2021.
During her time at Fred Longworth High School, she balanced her studies with her passion for athletics, showing exceptional talent from a young age. Her achievements have made her an inspiration to young athletes, demonstrating how dedication, hard work, and perseverance can lead to success at the highest level.
Following her Olympic gold medal success in 2024, Keely was made BBC Sports Personality of the year. She was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2025 New Year Honours list for her outstanding contributions to athletics.
On Thursday, October 10, 2024 Keely returned to Fred Longworth High School to show her Olympic gold medal to her former PE teachers and our students.
During this visit Keely was on hand to share advice to students and was also presented with the unveiling of the Gold post at the front of school, painted in honour of her Olympic Games achievements.
Both Keely Hodgkinson and Ella Toone are former students of Fred Longworth High School, becoming friends during their time at Freddie’s. Both participated in many of the extra-curricular activities that were available to them in school, which helped to develop their love for sports.
They played on the same school football team together. Hodgkinson frequently recalls knowing Toone was destined for stardom because she used to completely “smoke” the boys’ teams. They also ran cross-country together, where Hodgkinson usually held the upper hand.
Despite their busy schedules dominating world athletics and international football, they share a highly publicised, supportive bond and have spoken about this publicly. The most famous example of this came in 2024 when Ella congratulated Keely on her Olympic gold medal win.
You can watch this famous clip, which demonstrates the special bond that both former students have in the video below (courtesy of BBC television).