On the eve of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Keely Hodgkinson is talking excitedly about a photo she recently shared with her childhood friend, the England footballer Ella Toone. “There’s a big picture of her face at Old Trafford,” she says. “It’s massive! I sent it to her the other day. It’s amazing to watch in one year how much women’s football has come on, and how many have been watching the Women’s World Cup. Hopefully they can go on and win it.”
The 800m star only has joy in her heart when she speaks about Toone, who she used to do cross-country and play football with at Fred Longworth High School in Tyldesley, Greater Manchester. But Britain’s best chance of a gold medal in Budapest also understandably craves similar levels of attention for her sport. Her message is stark, and a little wistful. “Hopefully we can do something good and get people back and in love with athletics.”
