Keely Hodgkinson faces backlash over comments on American accents

Olympic gold medalist Keely Hodgkinson faced online backlash after posting a TikTok video criticizing American accents, a clip that drew a wave of replies from fans and fellow athletes.

The video shows the 23-year-old rolling her eyes and taking a sip as a voiceover says, 'And now I want to sit back and relax and enjoy my evening, when all of a sudden, I hear this agitating and grating voice.' Hodgkinson captioned the clip with 'When there are Americans in the restaurant' and 'They're really the loudest in the room.' The post appeared three days after she earned bronze at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

Reaction was mixed in the comments. An American fan wrote, 'God forbid we have fun,' while another urged, 'Be nice to your American fans,' prompting Hodgkinson to reply, 'Love y'all.' Fellow American athlete Masai Russell commented, 'Hey, not too much!' and Hodgkinson replied, 'Y'all are the most fun.'

At the Tokyo meet, Hodgkinson's training partner and room-mate, Georgia Hunter Bell, won silver in the same event where Hodgkinson took bronze, while Kenya’s Lilian Odira took gold. Hodgkinson had been kept off the track for 376 days by a hamstring injury and later said she had been ill in the days ahead of the competition.

Two days after the social post, Hodgkinson won bronze at the World Championships, and her training partner Hunter Bell again claimed silver.

Since winning Olympic gold at Paris in 2024, Hodgkinson has been seen as a rising star in British athletics, securing deals with Nike, Omega and Rimmel London and amassing an estimated net worth around £4 million.

Speaking about the arc of an athlete's career, Hodgkinson said: 'Somehow, I’ve managed to stay on that trajectory, which I think is incredible. At the end of my career, I think people will remember what you’ve won, not what you’ve lost. This will just go down as part of my journey and on reflection, I’ll be happy.'

Requests for comment were directed to Hodgkinson via the Daily Mail.