Georgia Hunter Bell Secures First Outdoor Gold
Eyeing two more titles after Commonwealth Games 800 metres win
Georgia Hunter Bell crosses the line first in Glasgow. Picture: Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games
August 1, 2026
Georgia Hunter Bell’s summer of ambition gathered fresh momentum this week as the middle-distance star set her sights on an extraordinary sweep of major titles in 2026. Fresh from winning Commonwealth gold in the 800m in Glasgow, the 32-year-old former Chiswick schoolgirl has a second victory this year following her 1500m world indoor title win earlier this year. She now has two more in her crosshairs, with the European Championships in Birmingham and the inaugural Ultimate Championships still to come.
Georgia’s performance in Glasgow was emphatic. With Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson choosing to sit out the event, the race was billed as a duel between her and Kenya’s world champion Lilian Odira. In the end, Georgia controlled the pace from the gun, surged with 200 metres remaining, and powered home more than a second clear of the field to claim her first outdoor senior title.
“Every medal is a landmark moment but my first outdoor gold is huge,” she told BBC Sport afterwards. Her return to elite competition has been anything but straightforward: five years away from the sport, a period working in cyber security, and a slow rebuild during the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet the results since her comeback have been remarkable. Olympic bronze in the 1500m, world silver in the 800m, and now two major titles in the space of a few months.
Her rise has been shaped in part by her training partnership with Keely Hodgkinson, who has taken a short break before the European Championships begin on 10 August. Georgoa will run only the 1500m in Birmingham, meaning the anticipated head-to-head between the pair will have to wait. She defended Keely Hodgkinson’s decision to withdraw from Glasgow, noting that athletes often face difficult choices behind the scenes. “We want to be healthy and racing at all times. If we are not showing up there was a reason for that.”
Her own reasons for showing up have been clear all year. Back in March, she delivered the defining performance of her career to date, winning the 1500m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland. It was a race that showcased her tactical intelligence and growing confidence. Birke Haylom’s early breakaway created a three-second gap, but Georgia stayed calm, reeled her in, and struck decisively just before the bell. She crossed the line in a world-leading 3:58.53, securing her first senior world title and confirming her status as one of Britain’s most versatile middle-distance runners.
“This victory is so sweet,” she said at the time. “I knew I had to prepare mentally before coming here as a favourite… I’m really proud of myself to stay calm.”
. Her coaches are still debating whether the 800m or 1500m is her true calling — an enviable dilemma for any athlete — but the medals keep coming regardless. Six major podium finishes in just over two years, indoors and outdoors, across two distances.
For the former St Mary’s schoolgirl from Chiswick, the journey has been unconventional, but the destination is becoming clearer with every stride. Two golds down, two more to chase.
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