Keely Hodgkinson targeting quadruple next year

In fact, the 19-year-old from Leigh, who is coached by Wigan’s Trevor Painter and his wife Jenny Meadows, is targeting the World Indoor Championships, World Championships, the Commonwealth Games AND the European Championships.

“It’d be nice to medal in all of them,” she told the Times.

“And I want to run the 4x400m. That’s tough but I watched Athing (Mu, Olympic 800m champion) do it in Tokyo.

“I always like to dream big.

“If you believe it can happen you are one step closer.”

Longer term, she will focus on the 800m until the Paris Olympics in 2024, and then look to double up and do the 1,500m.

And Meadows believes there's plenty more to come from Hodgkinson - who will benefit from having a young rival to push each other on.

"She has improved again this winter,” said Meadows. “I think Mu is a blessing. It would be really hard as a 19-year-old without Athing for company.

"It’s helping her get her head around it. I think Athing will break the world record in the next few years and pull Keely along.”

Hodgkinson has been announced as one of the five nominees for the 2021 World Athletics Female Rising Star Award.

After setting the world Under-20 indoor record in Vienna in January, she then became European Indoor champion in March.

Outdoors, she claimed a second national title before winning 800m silver at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, after running the fastest ever time (1:55:88) by a UK runner.

Hodgkinson followed that up by winning the prestigious Zurich Diamond League, earning her a wildcard entry into next year’s World Championships in Eugene.

She was also the first major athlete confirmed for the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in Birmingham on Saturday, February 19.

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