Keely Hodgkinson has a tornado emoji on her social media profile because she likes the idea of causing a bit of damage.
She is in Istanbul, at the European Indoor Championships where two years ago her star was born, and she is ready to whip up another storm.
A week after breaking her own British record she is hot favourite to retain the 800 metres title she won as a 19-year old on her senior championship debut.
After an exhausting 2022, in which she won World, Commonwealth and European medals over five weeks, she is primed to carve a fresh path of destruction.
“Last year I was battling Achilles problems, I had quad tears and things like that, and I still managed to perform like that,” she said. “Hopefully having a healthy winter will help me improve.”
The sound you can hear is rivals battening down the hatches for Hodgkinson, who turns 21 tomorrow (Friday), has come of age.
Denied the world title by just 0.08 seconds last summer forced her to add another silver to the one she took behind US arch-rival Athing Mu at the Tokyo Olympics. It lit a fire inside her.
“The training is so hard but it’s what I’ve got to do," she told Athletics Weekly. "When I get to the last rep I think: ‘Just remember 0.08’. That will help me get through.”
One of her goals is the indoor world record, set the day she was born in 2002. But Hodgkinson won’t put a ceiling on her ambition.
Add in 1500m star Laura Muir and Britain should expect at least two golds on a medal table they topped two years ago.
“They are outrageously talented,” said captain Jaz Sawyers. “A lot on the circuit are but they’ve got the work ethic and belief to match. That’s when you do something special.”
Competition starts today with discontent in the British team over chief executive Jack Buckner saying UK Athletics will take smaller squads to future championships and prioritise potential medallists.
“That’s management’s job, to sort out the future of the sport,” said Sawyers, sharply. “The article I’ve seen come out I’m not going to read as it has nothing to do with us as athletes.”
BRITS TO WATCH
Women
800m - Keely Hodgkinson (Final: Sun 17.35)
1500m - Laura Muir (Sat 17.00)
60m - Daryll Neita (Fri 18.45)
Men
1500m - Neil Gourley (Fri 17.40)
60m - Reece Prescod (Sat 17.55)
