Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson dominated the Olympic 800m final to win gold in Paris and end her wait for a global title.
The 22-year-old finished second at successive World Championships after claiming a stunning silver on her Olympic debut as a teenager in Tokyo three years ago.
But Hodgkinson put that series of near-misses on the sport’s biggest stages behind her as she took charge of the final and would not relent as Kenyan rival Mary Moraa threatened to pass on the outside.
Crossing the line in one minute 56.72 seconds, Hodgkinson could not hide her emotion as the magnitude of her achievement struck – having matched Kelly Holmes’ 800m gold in Athens 20 years ago.
Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma won silver behind Hodgkinson, who punched the air in delight and donned a crown as she celebrated with the crowd, while world champion Moraa was third at Stade de France.
Hodgkinson, already a four-time European champion in as many years as a professional, posed for photos and signed autographs as she savoured the golden moment she has long dreamed of.
It was Great Britain’s first athletics gold since Mo Farah won the 5,000m and 10,000m double at Rio 2016, and Hodgkinson becomes only the 10th British woman to win Olympic gold.