Keely Hodgkinson headlines ‘Super Saturday 2’ revealing she would have quit athletics but for the first one.
Ten years after Jess Ennis-Hill, Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford each struck Olympic gold on one unforgettable evening in London, Birmingham hosts the sequel.
World champion Jake Wightman takes on Olympic silver and bronze medallists Timothy Cheruiyot and Josh Kerr over 1500 metres. Zharnel Hughes faces a 200m rematch with arch rival Jereem Richards, whom he was disqualified for impeding after finishing first in Gold Coast four years ago. And topping the bill, Hodgkinson clashes with Laura Muir at 800m.
There is not a spare ticket to be had at Alexander Stadium for this Battle of Britain as Scottish star Muir steps down a distance in a bid to slay her English rival.
The deafening roar that greeted Eilish McColgan’s 10,000m triumph on Tuesday has placed all athletes on alert to expect the best atmosphere since Golden Hour in 2012.
Hodgkinson not only remembers that storied night, she says she owes her already brilliant career to it.
The 20-year old said: “I wanted to be a swimmer until I saw Jess at London 2012. I used to swim a lot at the time. I did athletics for a bit, then I actually quit.
“But I came back after seeing Jess be the female star of the London Olympics. It's my first memory of athletics.
“I thought she was absolutely amazing. Competing at a home Games with all that pressure - and delivering something spectacular.”
A decade on that is the challenge facing Hodgkinson, still sore at so narrowly missing out on gold at the World Championships a fortnight ago.
The 20-year old has come a long way since having to be bribed by her dad to run the Greater Manchester cross country champs when she was 12.
“That was where my athletic career was made,” she said. “I was so nervous. I was like ‘Dad, I am not running’.
“He had to bribe me with a pair of shoes. I ended up winning. If I hadn't run that race and backed away from it…
“Dad always said to me, ‘if you believe something you can go and do it’. That became my way of approaching things: give everything, back myself, hope I come out on top. I feel I can handle any situation.”
Well almost. The day before she won Olympic silver in Tokyo she was found trying to boil milk in a kettle. And a year on, now living in her own flat, there is a new challenge.
“Ironing,” she said. “Washing is fine but then you’ve got to iron. God, it takes ages!”
Muir has not run a major championship 800 since 2013 and this race comes 24 hours before she starts as favourite for the 1500m.
“This is the last medal I’m missing,” she explained. “It’s hard to balance the two but I would hate to be sitting at home watching a final thinking I could have been a part of it.”
Adam Gemili is a notable absentee from today's party having failed to come through his 200m semi-final last night, finishing only fourth in 20.97secs. Hughes (20.32) qualified fastest.
SUPER SATURDAY 2
13.10
Men’s 1500m final
Jake Wightman v Josh Kerr.
Ranked one and five in the world this year, the world champion versus the Olympic bronze medallist, with 2019 world champ Timothy Cheruiyot thrown in for good measure.
19.45
Women’s 800m final
Keely Hodgkinson v Laura Muir.
The two stars of British middle-distance running go head to head, with Olympic and world silver medallist Hodgkinson favourite against the 1500m specialist.
21.18
Men’s 200m final
Zharnel Hughes v Jereem Richards.
Hughes won the 2018 Commonwealth final only to be disqualified for impeding the Trinidadian who was instead awarded the gold. The Briton has unfinished business.
