Hunter Bell eyes golden sweep after Commonwealth 800m triumph

Georgia Hunter Bell added Commonwealth gold to her collection with a dominant victory in the 800 metres in Glasgow. The English runner, who already held the world indoor 1500m title from earlier this year, made the final look one-sided as she controlled the pace and pulled away in the closing stages to win by more than a second.

The 32-year-old, who trains alongside Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson, described the victory as a landmark achievement. "Every medal is a landmark moment but my first outdoor gold is huge," she said. She had previously earned bronze in the 1500m at the Paris Olympics and silver in the 800m at last year's World Championships.

Hunter Bell's triumph came in a race that lost some of its star power when Hodgkinson decided not to compete, leaving Hunter Bell and Kenya's Lilian Odira as the leading contenders. Hodgkinson is now resting before the European Championships in Birmingham, which begin on 10 August. Hunter Bell will race there too, but only in the 1500m, meaning the two training partners will not face each other.

Looking ahead, Hunter Bell sees further opportunities for gold this year. "There are four opportunities to win gold this year," she said. "I am two golds down and two more to go." In addition to the European Championships, she is set to compete at the inaugural Ultimate Championships in September.

The absence of high-profile English athletes such as Dina Asher-Smith, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Matt Hudson-Smith drew attention, but Hunter Bell defended the decisions. She explained that athletes want to compete whenever possible, and that pulling out is never taken lightly. She recalled having to withdraw from a London meeting a few weeks ago due to illness.

Elsewhere on the track, Emily Newnham secured silver for England in the 400m hurdles with a late surge, while Jake Minshull took silver in the men's equivalent. In the decathlon, Sammy Ball and Lewis Church finished fourth and fifth for England.