Georgia Hunter Bell led Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson to a British medal double on the planet 800m ultimate – however their bid for a surprising one-two was spoiled by Kenya’s Lilian Odira in Tokyo.

Hunter Bell continued her fairytale return to the game she had give up for 5 years by edging coaching accomplice Hodgkinson to second, 0.28 seconds behind Odira who claimed gold in a championship report one minute 54.62 seconds.

Whereas Hodgkinson had set her sights on a primary world title following successive silvers earlier than her triumph at Paris 2024, bronze represented a outstanding achievement on the finish of a season devastated by harm setbacks.

Hunter Bell upgraded her Olympic bronze medal in 1:54.90 – a mere one hundredth of a second forward of coaching accomplice and good pal Hodgkinson.

Hodgkinson and Hunter Bell had each spoken earlier than the ultimate about their ambitions to change into the first British athletes to realize a one-two at a World Championships since Christine Ohuruogu and Nicola Sanders in Japan 18 years in the past.

Each coached by husband-and-wife partnership Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows, the pair educated collectively, roomed collectively on the British staff’s holding camp, and have carried out drills collectively within the corridors of the staff lodge to flee the Tokyo warmth.

However on Sunday they grew to become gold medal rivals and would find yourself locked collectively – nearly inseparable – as they threw themselves throughout the road.

In the end, it was Hunter Bell – having had a full season to construct in direction of this second – who was capable of summon the ultimate effort required for silver after Odira had made her well beyond within the closing phases to realize her first international medal of any color.

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