Georgia Bell smashes 800m club record at Diamond League

Georgia Bell sealed bronze in a lightning-quick 800m race at London’s Diamond League meeting, in her last race before boarding the Eurostar to the Paris Olympics.

Bell rounded off the podium in arguably one of the greatest 800m races in years, coming third behind new national record holder Keely Hodgkinson and Jemma Reekie. Finishing in 1:56.28, Bell broke a 20-year club record that was previously held by Tamsyn Lewis, who ran the distance in 2:00.96 in Rome in 2004.

In front of 60,000 raucous spectators at the London Stadium, Bell set the fourth-fastest 800m time ever run by a GB athlete. Fans won’t see her improve over the distance for a little while yet - she’s competing in the 1500m in Paris - but Bell was pleased with yet another brilliant performance in what is turning out to be an astonishing season for the middle distance athlete. “I knew it was going to be a really quick track,” Bell told Athletics Weekly after the race.

Bell’s profile continues to rise in the national media, and her successes on track are benefitting others away from her own schedule. “People have said to me that you’ve got me back into running or you’ve kids into running,” she told AW. “It’s been so nice.”

Credit: James Rhodes

Elsewhere, Siân Harry’s season continues to go from strength to strength, the 400m runner taking a bronze medal at the England Athletics Championships. Harry ran a superb 53.61s.

We congratulate them both and wish Georgia all the best for the Olympic Games.