Georgia Hunter Bell won the Commonwealth Games 800m title in Glasgow in a time of one minute 59.51 seconds and is now aiming for an ambitious sweep of gold medals in 2026. England's Hunter Bell dominated the field to add Commonwealth gold to the 1500m world indoor title she won earlier this year in Poland.
The 32-year-old, a training partner of 800m Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson, will also race at next month's European Championships and the inaugural Ultimate Championships in September.
"There are four opportunities to win gold this year," Hunter Bell told .
"I am two golds down and two more to go."
Hunter Bell said she is blossoming later in her career. Having taken five years out from the sport before returning during the Covid-19 pandemic, she took 1500m bronze at the Paris Olympics before pipping Hodgkinson to silver at last year's World Championships in the 800m.
This, though, is her first outdoor title - in the event Hodgkinson is Olympic champion.
"Every medal is a landmark moment but my first outdoor gold is huge," she said.
Hunter Bell and Kenya's world champion Lilian Odira were the favourites for this title after Hodgkinson opted not to compete. The final was barely a contest with Hunter Bell setting the pace and then kicking on with 200m to go to win by more than a second.
Hodgkinson has instead taken time off before the European Championships in Birmingham, which start on 10 August. Hunter Bell is only running in the 1500m in that event, denying the chance to see an intriguing race between the pair, but took her opportunity in her friend and training partner's absence.
Though she said the win validates her decision to come to Glasgow, she defended the decision of others to withdraw.
Hodgkinson won the 800m world indoor title in Poland and, after successive second-place finishes, won the London Diamond League over the same distance earlier this month
Dina Asher-Smith, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Matt Hudson-Smith have been other high-profile English absentees.
"Every decision is different per athlete," Hunter Bell said.
"A few weeks ago I had to pull out of London which I was devastated about because I was sick.
"We want to be healthy and racing at all times.
"That is what people don't understand.
"If we could we would be racing non-stop.
"We get incentivised financially, we love it. This is what we train for.
"If we are not showing up there was a reason for that."
How does this affect Hunter Bell's season?
Hunter Bell's Glasgow victory keeps alive her bid to win four gold medals in 2026, with two already secured and two more chances to come this year. She will compete at next month's European Championships and the inaugural Ultimate Championships in September, while also racing only the 1500m at the European Championships in Birmingham, which start on 10 August.
Why was the 800m final so one-sided?
The final was expected to be contested by Hunter Bell and Lilian Odira after Hodgkinson chose not to enter, but Hunter Bell controlled the race from the front. She increased the pace with 200m remaining and won by more than a second.
Why did Hunter Bell defend the withdrawals?
Hunter Bell said every athlete's decision is different, pointing to her own withdrawal from London a few weeks earlier because she was sick. She said athletes want to be healthy and racing at all times, but cannot compete continuously.
Key Facts
- Georgia Hunter Bell won the Commonwealth Games 800m title in Glasgow in 1:59.51.
- It was her first outdoor title and her second gold of the year after the 1500m world indoor title in Poland.
- She has five years out from the sport before returning during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- She won 1500m bronze at the Paris Olympics and 800m silver at last year's World Championships.
- Keely Hodgkinson did not compete in Glasgow and has taken time off before the European Championships in Birmingham starting on 10 August.
