Tokyo Olympics: Keely Hodgkinson praises Leeds Beckett University

A Olympic silver medallist has praised the university that helped to prepare her and 13 other Team GB athletes for the Tokyo games.

Leeds Beckett student Keely Hodgkinson set a new British record as she crossed the 800m finish line on Tuesday.

Team-mate Alex Bell, a graduate of the university, also ran in the final and recorded a personal best.

First-year criminologist Hodgkinson, 19, said the university had been "so supportive" of its athletes.

"We had two in the final," she said.

"Stood on the start line at the Olympics I said, 'Wow this is crazy,' but I wanted to take it all in and put on my best performance."

Hodgkinson took the silver medal in one minute 55.88 seconds as US teenager Athing Mu took gold.

It was Team GB's first track medal of Tokyo 2020 and Hodgkinson broke the British national record set by Dame Kelly Holmes in 1995.

The university's academics, coaches and the Carnegie School of Sport work with many Team GB athletes including Lizzie Bird and Leeds-born Bell.

Other athletes including the Brownlee Brothers, Alex Yee and Georgia Taylor-Brown trained at the university.

The university's head athletics coach Andrew Henderson said: "The general atmosphere is that people are quite encouraging and help each other here.

"But then to see an athlete that trains at your facility who you know crossing the finishing line is just fantastic."

Vice-chancellor prof Peter Slee said: "The last year has not been easy for any of the athletes but their hard work and perseverance have now paid off."

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