Georgia Hunter Bell’s surge over two laps has handed the Olympic 1500m bronze medallist an unexpected conundrum ahead of September’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. A year after confirming her credentials at 1500m with bronze in Paris, the Briton has now won consecutive Diamond League 800m races, adding a slick 1:56.74 at the London Stadium on Saturday the second-fastest run of her career to last month’s triumph in Stockholm.
Success has forced a rethink. Does she defend her established 1500m status, pivot to an 800m that currently looks comparatively open, or attempt the arduous 800/1500 double that few try in the championship era of ruthless scheduling? Bell believes Tokyo’s timetable is unusually generous, with genuine recovery days and one event concluding before the other begins, yet she worries about spreading herself thin. She plans to consult double Olympic champion Kelly Holmes the 2004 800m/1500m titlist who contacted Bell after Paris and has since grown into a trusted mentor before committing.
The competitive landscape complicates matters further. With Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson sidelined by a hamstring problem but expected back soon, 800m depth and sheer speed have flattened. The 1500m, meanwhile, keeps resetting its ceiling, meaning Bell must choose the lane that offers the clearest path to a medal. She framed it simply: be strategic; the 1500m is even faster this year, the 800m not as sharp as last season. Whatever she chooses, Bell’s call will be one of Tokyo’s storylines.
London also produced fireworks in the men’s 1500m, where 18-year-old Kenyan Phanuel Koech uncorked a meeting-record 3:28.82 to outkick home favourite and reigning world champion Josh Kerr (3:29.37). Former champion Jake Wightman came fourth after George Mills fell in the final 200m; Kerr insisted the global crown will “continue to live” in Britain.
Elsewhere, Charlie Dobson blasted a 44.14 personal best 400m to move to No 2 on the European all-time list. Morgan Lake won the high jump at 1.96m. Julien Alfred scorched a world-leading 21.71 200m ahead of Dina Asher-Smith, and Oblique Seville sped 9.86 to beat Olympic champion Noah Lyles in the 100m dash.
Before the programme, Britain’s 1997 men’s 4x400m squad Roger Black, Iwan Thomas, Jamie Baulch, Mark Richardson and heat runner Mark Hylton finally received upgraded world championship golds after the original winners were disqualified for doping, turning the presentation into an emotional celebration for the quintet and their families.
