World Athletics Boss Seb Coe Praises Keely Hodgkinson After Viral West Ham Dig: 'She Knows Her Worth'

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has once again lauded British track star Keely Hodgkinson, highlighting her authenticity both on and off the track.

Keely Hodgkinson, who shattered the indoor 800m world record in February, is now targeting the long-standing outdoor record.

Coe, a former Olympic champion himself, views the Manchester-based athlete as a refreshing presence in the sport.

The 69-year-old athletics chief shared an anecdote about encountering Hodgkinson during her birthday celebrations, citing it as an example of her down-to-earth nature. He emphasised that her overall conduct reflects this same genuine quality.

Speaking on 'The Sports Agents' podcast, Seb Coe responded to a question about Keely Hodgkinson's recent social media post concerning West Ham United, who play at the London Stadium.

The world indoor champion had quipped, "The GB team will bring back more medals to that stadium than West Ham have seen in their entire history."

Coe expressed his admiration for her directness. "I love Keely because you will only get authenticity," he said.

"There's none of this 'Oh, I'll see how I feel tomorrow' or 'One match at a time', she absolutely tells it as it is. I think she's joyous company apart from anything."

He also noted the significance of the current season for British athletics. "This year is probably the biggest year in British athletics... we've got a Commonwealth Games, we've got a European Championships, we've got a great Diamond League. It's probably the best year for athletics in the UK since 2017."

"Keely's not wrong. I'm pleased she knows her worth," Coe added. "She's off-the-graph good, but if you look statistically, she's still got a couple of years before she hits her peak."

Keely Hodgkinson's 'off-the-grid' talent is evident in her recent performances. After an injury-plagued 2025 delayed her attempt at the outdoor world record, she broke the indoor equivalent in February and secured the world indoor title in Poland the following month, finishing more than a second ahead of her rivals.

Her primary goal for the outdoor season is to break Jarmila Kratochvilova's 800m record, which has stood for over four decades. Despite her elite status, Hodgkinson remains remarkably grounded.

In a previous appearance on the "UNTAPPED" podcast, Coe spoke glowingly of the 24-year-old. "What you see with Keely is what you get," he remarked. "She is very funny, she's totally driven, but she puts things in perspective."

He recalled a chance meeting in Manchester. "I bumped into her one night... it was her birthday. This was just a couple of weeks after she'd broken the indoor world record and only a few days before she was set to dominate the field and win her world indoor title, and she was just out celebrating. She's just completely normal, but she is incredibly talented. She's got a great coaching team around her."