Keely Hodgkinson has been crowned with a £20,000 tiara by tennis great Serena Williams after her latest success in New York.
Team GB‘s 800m superstar won an all-female Athlos meet in the United States with an impressive time of 1:56:53.
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Hodgkinson was in blistering form at the Athlos meetCredit: Getty for Athlos
Hodgkinson ended her season with victory, finishing in front of fellow Brit Georgia Hunter Bell and St. Vincent’s Shafiqua Maloney.
This was only her sixth event of the year due to spending time out injured after a hamstring tear was followed by other setbacks.
The 23-year-old was back on the track a few weeks after being denied gold at the World Athletics Championships in September.
And she was able to bounce back and claim glory – receiving an extra special prize in the Big Apple, instead of a gold medal.
At the Athlos meeting, things worked differently than usual, with live music being played and a party atmosphere in the stands.
Another change from the norm was the rewards too, with £20,000 Tiffany & Co. crowns being handed out to winners.
It meant Hodgkinson left with an expensive, glitzy prize, with it being handed over to her by a sporting icon.
Tennis legend Williams, who is married to Athlos founder Alexis Ohanian, was in attendance to crown winners.
Speaking after her win, Hodgkinson said: “I’ve barely raced this season, so it was probably less of a struggle for me to go out there and want to give it something.
“The atmosphere out there is crazy, so it was really, really fun.”
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The British star took home a glamorous reward for her efforts on the trackCredit: GettyFinishing on a high
Hodgkinson’s season has ended with a £20,000 reward, in a result that helped her return to winning ways.
She began her athletics campaign in August with two wins in Poland and Switzerland in the Diamond League.
That set the Olympic champion up nicely for the World Athletics Championships, bringing her back to fitness after injury.
Hodgkinson won her heat and her semi-final with ease, but things didn’t go to plan in the final.
She was only able to pick up bronze at the Worlds, with Hunter Bell swooping in to seal the silver medal.
Kenya’s Lilian Odira took the gold, but despite that, after winning her last race of the season, Hodgkinson made sure to end on a high.
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Hodgkinson came third at the Worlds, but she’s ended the season on a winCredit: GettyNew challenge ahead
With this athletics season coming to a close, all eyes will soon be moving onto the next.
And for Hodgkinson, she will have a new rival in the 800m.
Five-time 400m hurdles gold medallist, Femke Bol, is making a major career change to pursue success in a new event.
Despite Bol admitting it will be ‘unfamiliar territory’, she will hope to challenge Hodgkinson and co. for glory.
On the Dutch star’s change, Hodgkinson said: “I honestly can’t wait to compete with her. She’s chosen an event that’s been going really well in recent years. She’s running some amazing times.
“I commend Femke for her courageous decision. I think she has the talent to do very well in the 800 meters.”