Keely Hodgkinson’s Olympic silver medal wasn’t even around her neck before she set her sights on dominating 800 metre running for a decade.

The Wiganer's stunning silver was Britain’s first 800m medal since Kelly Holmes won gold in 2004 and she broke the middle-distance icon’s 27-year national record on the way.

Hodgkinson was beaten only by a fellow teenage phenomenon in USA’s Athing Mu - with whom she wants to build an era-defining rivalry.

“It’s incredible to have teenagers taking on the podium,” said Hodgkinson, who clocked 1:55.88 in the race broadcast live on Eurosport and discovery+.

"That was such a good race from every single person in there, it was so open and I wanted to leave it all out there.

“There isn’t just one 19-year-old in the race, there are two, so hopefully it means we’ll have a competitive ten or 15 years ahead in the 800.

“It’s going to be good and there are even faster times on the horizon.”

These were the words of an athlete whose original target for this summer was to upgrade European junior bronze to gold, the Olympics a mere pipe dream.

The down-to-earth Wiganer’s childhood hero was Tom Daley and she joined the diving star - who she has admitted having a crush on - in the ranks of Team GB’s medallists with a scorching run.

Hodgkinson, who studies criminology at Leeds Beckett University, has spent more time writing her name into history books in recent months.

She became the first British woman to break a world junior record in January and the youngest to win a European indoor title for more than 50 years in March.

"If the Olympics were last year, I wouldn't be here,” said Hodgkinson. “It's definitely given me a chance to grow and compete with these girls.

“In the past two years, my team have brought me on and helped me enjoy it. They’ve kept me relaxed, kept me socialising which is how I run my best.

“I’ve taken every aspect of this experience with me, from meeting new people to running in massive stadiums, and I just managed to deliver the race I wanted.”

Hodgkinson ran a tight inside line as Mu took the field out to a brisk first lap and then followed team-mate Jemma Reekie’s purposeful move to the front on the back straight.

Still she needed all of her finishing speed that saw her out-kick Reekie and Laura Muir to the British title in June to drop the Scot, Nagoya Goule and Habitam Alemu, with Mu out of reach.

There was no roar of a crowd but the sighs of relief were audible as Team GB secured a first athletics medal on the fifth day of the track & field programme.

Kelly Holmes no longer holds a British record and you suspect the double Olympic champion will be delighted about that.

She messaged Hodgkinson on Instagram after the teenager ran a personal best in Stockholm in June and got in touch again in the days leading up to Tokyo.

“I’m more amazed by the record and the time rather than the medal,” said Hodgkinson.

“Kelly is a massive legend and she always will be. She seems so lovely, she’s sent us a few messages in the past couple of days and has been so supportive.

“She just gave us some words of wisdom and put a lot of belief in me. It’s nice to have someone like her who believes in me, because she’s amazing.

“It’s been a crazy nine months but I’ve enjoyed every second of it.”

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