Five British sports stars to watch out for in 2023

After the thrills of 2022 that included the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing and World Championships in sports including swimming, athletics and artistic gymnastics, here are six of the best of Britain hoping to make 2023 their own.

Keely Hodgkinson, athletics

800m dynamo Keely Hodgkinson has barely turned 20 but already has Olympic and world silver medals to her name.

In 2022, she went neck-and-neck with American phenom Athing Mu in the final of the 800m at the World Athletics Championships chasing the US star to the line to miss out on gold by a shoe length.

For most, this would be an excellent result, but Hodgkinson’s steely approach to the sport means that any loss is considered a failure, with Lord Sebastian Coe revealing “she doesn’t like losing”.

Hodgkinson’s 2022 did include her first senior gold medal as she won the European title in Munich. But much will be expected of her in 2023 as she faces the prospect of a second World Athletics Championships in as many years when the event takes place from 19-27 August in Budapest.

Tom Dean, swimming

Swimmer Tom Dean’s two golds at Tokyo 2020 (in 2021) made him the first Briton in 113 years to achieve the golden double. A year later he was back making history once again, securing seven medals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham - the most of any English sportsperson in history.

Having made it clear that he would like to focus on a wider range of events heading into Paris 2024, the Olympic 200m freestyle champion has the chance to put the plan into motion at the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan that take place in July.

Still only 22 years old, Dean has all the fundamentals necessary for a glorious 2023 as he aims to add to his medal collection before the next Olympic Games.

Beth Mead, football

Footballer Beth Mead enjoyed a spectacular 2022 that included lifting the women’s Euros after ending the tournament as top scorer.

The 27-year-old Arsenal player was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year and also walked away from the Euros with the award for best player of the tournament.

This year she has the chance to add even more silverware to her trophy cabinet as she takes part in the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

There’s also the small matter of the Olympics on the horizon that take place in Paris in 2024.

Mead’s year ended much in the same way the rest of it had gone, with recognition on the global stage as she was voted runner-up for the Ballon d’Or.

Alex Yee, triathlon

Britain’s Alex Yee followed up his breakout performances at Tokyo 2020, where he won silver in the individual event and gold in the mixed relay, with second place in the triathlon World Triathlon Championship Series.

While failing to step onto the top of the podium in the World Series - after a last-race win by France’s Leo Bergere - represented a challenging end to the season for Yee, his performances since Tokyo have put him in an excellent position to equal or better his results from the last Olympic Games.

At the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Yee took home the gold medal, cementing his position as an exceptional championship racer.

And at 24, he is entering the prime stages of his career having already played a key role in qualifying Britain for the next Olympic Games as part of the mixed relay team that won silver in last year’s World Triathlon Championship Series race in Montreal that guaranteed his country a spot at Paris 2024.

Jessica Gadirova, artistic gymnastics

2022 saw Jessica Gadirova become Britain’s first-ever all-around medallist (bronze) at the World Championships in Budapest before winning a spectacular gold in the floor exercise on the final day of the competition.

At just 19 years old, Gadirova has risen to the top of the artistic gymnastics world, and her performances in Hungary have already secured Britain a spot in the team competition of Paris 2024.

Alongside her twin sister Jennifer, much is expected of Gadirova in 2023 where she will once again take part in the World Championships in Antwerp from 29 September to 8 October where individual qualification for the next Games can be achieved.