PA Media/DPA
Paris
Keely Hodgkinson ran with the weight of Britain’s expectations on her shoulders but still emerged Olympic 800m champion at Stade de France.
The Wigan world silver medallist was the heavy favourite heading not just into Monday night’s final but well ahead of these Games, setting a world-leading time of 1:54.61 just over two weeks before what had increasingly started to feel like a dance with destiny.
On a clear Monday evening in Paris she was calm and collected, moving up from fifth to first entering the final lap and cruised across the line in 1:56.72.
Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma surged to silver in 1:57.15, while Kenya’s world champion Mary Moraa collected bronze.