Keely Hodgkinson has spoken out about why she chose to debut her controversial Nike catsuit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHiY6Qytx30
The Olympic 800-meter champion, 22, told press that style and comfort drove the decision to wear the skintight black design with an open back at the Athlos competition in London last week. The Team GB athlete said she wanted to feel confident while staying cool during competition.
“The style was a big thing. I wanted it to be comfortable but also to feel a little bit sexy. The back is open. It makes it cool. I am not hot at all in it. It’s like I am wearing nothing,” she told reporters.
Hodgkinson revealed the garment was nearly a year in development with Nike’s innovation team. She described the process as a blend of fashion, speed and science that could point toward the future of athletics.
“Honestly this has been like a year in the making with all the adjustments and fittings. It was a really fun process with the Nike innovation team. I think it’s a mixture of fashion, speed and science all coming together, for maybe the future of athletics potentially,” she said.
The Manchester-born runner added that she felt honored to be chosen as the first athlete to showcase the design. She noted that the all-women’s Athlos event, with its emphasis on glamour and visibility for female athletes, provided the ideal setting for the reveal.
“It was a real honour for them to choose me to put this out first. We weren’t sure when we were going to wear it, but in hindsight an all-women’s event, which is all about the glitz and glamour and putting eyes on women, a bit of a moment was the perfect way to finish the season. So it’s really exciting,” Hodgkinson continued.
After winning in London, she reflected on the experience of competing in the attention-grabbing outfit. She admitted to some pre-race nerves that she managed with sunglasses.
“I’m honoured they let me put this on show. I was a little nervous, walking out. The shades helped me just block out the noise, but it was really fun and it’s something I’ll remember forever,” she said following her victory.
Despite the positive reception, questions immediately arose about whether Hodgkinson could wear the catsuit at the LA 2028 Olympics. She hinted at insider knowledge that suggested otherwise, telling press: “We might know some things that people don’t!” She also contextualized the design as an evolution of past athletic wear, noting that Cathy Freeman and other athletes had pioneered similar looks with earlier technology.
“It was a test out there. This is not something we haven’t seen before. Like Cathy Freeman and some other athletes from a while ago did something like this, and this is the updated new version, with the new technology,” she added.
The speculation has since been settled: Hodgkinson will be barred from wearing the Nike catsuit at the 2028 Games due to Team GB’s longstanding partnership with Adidas. The German sportswear giant has been the official kit supplier for British Olympians since the 1982 Olympics, creating a direct conflict with the rival Nike design. While Team GB athletes receive some flexibility on technical items like running spikes, the catsuit falls outside that limited wiggle room.
Hodgkinson claimed Olympic gold in the 800 meters at the Paris Games this past summer, establishing herself as one of Britain’s brightest track stars.
She is scheduled to compete next at the indoor season opener in Birmingham.