Husband and wife coaches who trained Keely Hodgkinson return home to Wigan after Paris success

The married couple have been speaking to ITV Granada Reports sports correspondent David Chisnall.

A married couple who trained track star Keely Hodgkinson says it is a "lifetime ambition" to watch one of their athletes win gold at the Olympics.

Keely, 22, stormed to Olympic gold in the women’s 800 metre final at the Stade de France in Paris on Tuesday, 6 August, beating Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia and Kenya's Mary Moraa.

She is the first British woman to claim the title since Dame Kelly Holmes at the Athens Games in 2004, and just the third going back to Ann Packer in 1964.

Keely celebrates gold with trainer Trevor Painter. Credit: PA Images

Behind every Olympian is a team of coaches helping them all the way to be their very best and for Keely, that is Trevor Painter and former runner Jenny Meadows.

The husband and wife duo, who coached five athletes for the games, arrived back in Wigan on Monday after two weeks of hard work in Paris.

Trevor said: "We're back to reality, I'm afraid. There is no rest for the wicked. What we have just been through has been totally bonkers.

"We had five athletes from the group out there and for three of them to come home with a medal is just outrageous."

Jenny and Trevor with Georgia Bell and Lewis Davey. Credit: @JENNYMEADOWS800

As well as Keely Hodgkinson's win, Georgia Bells won bronze in the 1,500 metres and Lewis Daveys won bronze in the men's 4x400m.

Trevor said "It is a lifetime ambition as a coach. That's what you want to achieve.

"If you are a football coach you want to coach a FA Cup wining team or to coach the national team.

"To have someone like Keely in the shape of her life in the week that it mattered it shows the planning has gone well and we can't be any happier."

Keeley won gold in the Women's 800 metres at the Paris games. Credit: PA Images

Jenny said: "To be 22 years of age and win two Olympic medals is absolutely phenomenal.

"She is one of our all time greats. If she did nothing else she would go down in history but she is going to add to that collection I'm sure."

The pair are now looking ahead to the next Olympics which is set to take place in Los Angeles in 2028 - the third time the city has hosted the games.

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