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The Englishman was done sponsoring British athletes but made an exception for Keely Hodgkinson, after he noticed the talent she posessed which helped her become Olympic champion.
Barrie Wells, an English businessman, sports fanatic and philanthropist has shared what motivated him to financially support Keely Hodgkinson in her quest for 800m dominance.
In an exclusive interview with Athletics Weekly, Wells disclosed that he noticed something special about Hodgkinson and even though he was not looking to sponsor any more athletes at the time, he gave the 22-year-old a shot.
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21:37 - 27.08.2024
World U20 Championships: Mary Moraa’s cousin the only Kenyan representative in 800m semis
Sarah Moraa advances to the 800m semis, but teammate Janet Jepkemoi exits after finishing last in her heat.
The Englishman opened up about the first time he met the world 800m bronze medallist and helped her move to a warm-weather training camp in Florida and he was over the moon after witnessing Hodgkinson win the Olympic 800m title.
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"I looked at what Keely was doing and I thought ‘This is someone exceptional’. I didn’t want to go back to funding athletes but she seemed rather special,” he said.
Hodgkinson started her professional career in 2014 before breaking into the limelight at the 2019 European U20 Championships where she finished third in the women’s 800m.
She then made her Olympic debut at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games where she finished second behind Athing Mu. She extended her hot streak to the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon where she finished second behind Mu.
Mary Moraa finished third in the hotly contested race. At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Moraa won the race and defeated Hodgkinson who finished second in the race.
At the 2023 World Championships, Moraa claimed the win in the race with Mu finishing second and Hodgkinson rounding up the podium.
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11:30 - 28.08.2024
Why Koitatoi Kidali's move to US could be the game-changer for his 2025 World Championships bid
Koitatoi Kidali's move to the University of Oregon could be crucial for his preparation and success at the 2025 World Championships.
However, she meant business at the Paris Olympics, capitalizing on her great form as she stunned a strong field to take the win in the women’s 800m. Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma finished an impressive second as Moraa sealed the podium in the race.
Hodgkinson completed her season at the Paris Olympics after announcing that she had a slight injury that would prevent her from competing in Diamond League Meetings.
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