Georgia Hunter Bell and Keely Hodgkinson must accept silver and bronze as Lilian Odira claims gold in Tokyo; Hodgkinson had led for a lot of the race however was overtaken within the closing levels; Odira set new World Championship file
Final Up to date: 21/09/25 12:35pm
Nice Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson and Georgia Hunter Bell win bronze and silver in World Athletics Championships 800m
Workforce GB pair Georgia Hunter Bell and Keely Hodgkinson completed second and third in a high-quality ladies’s 800m closing on the World Championships.
Lilian Odira took the gold medal, overtaking the British pair on the final second in Tokyo.
Hodgkinson led the race for lengthy spells and a GB one-two seemed on the playing cards till Odira blazed previous the pair in 1:54.62, a brand new championship file.
Hunter Bell ran an outstanding private better of 1:54.90 to beat Olympic champion Hodgkinson by 0.01 seconds.
It was the primary time a British pair have gained two medals in the identical occasion of the World Championships for 18 years.
Hodgkinson and Hunter Bell needed to wait earlier than screens contained in the stadium confirmed the latter, who claimed 1500m bronze on her Olympic debut in Paris final summer season, had obtained over the road sooner by the best of margins.
Hunter Bell had debated racing at each distances at these championships earlier than deciding to deal with the 800m, and was even prep camp room-mates with bronze medallist Hodgkinson.
It was nonetheless a courageous and decided exhibiting for Hodgkinson, who simply final month returned from a 376-day injury-plagued absence after changing into the Olympic champion.
Hodgkinson: I assumed I had gained it
“I felt fairly good in the beginning and it was fast on the market and a little bit of tussling and surging that may have wasted a little bit of vitality however I used to be in it to win it, and whenever you go in for gold, you danger dropping off the rostrum or coming second or third,” Keely Hodgkinson advised BBC Sport.
“I am blissful for the each of us, we each obtained a medal, my third 1:54 and to be constant like that, particularly after the yr I’ve had, it is not what I got here right here for however I can not be too dissatisfied.
“I assumed I had it. However [Lilian] Odira ran previous and I did my greatest. The final 10m my legs have been falling off. I ran it how I ran it and that is what the result’s.”
Hunter Bell: I am so blissful
“I wished to point out what I can do within the 800m and I knew I needed to come into it recent if I wished to get a medal and doing each [800m and 1500m] could be too laborious,” Georgia Hunter Bell advised BBC Sport. “The competitors is so good.
“I am so blissful, the quickest time I’ve ever run. I knew it will be quick from seeing the ladies within the area however I used to be identical to ‘do not get dropped’ and attempt to grasp on to get the kick ultimately.”
