by Stuart Weir
Team GB’s Remarkable Feat: Ten Medals
Britain’s 10 medals in Paris equaled the total achieved at the 2023 Budapest World Champs but surpassed the 5 medals at the Tokyo Olympics and the seven in Rio. Make no mistake, Olympic medals are not easy to come by.
GB medaled in all five relays, and in addition, there were individual medals for Keely Hodgkinson (gold 800), silvers for Matt Hudson-Smith (400), Josh Kerr (1500), and Katarina Johnson-Thompson (heptathlon), and bronze for Georgia Bell (1500). The relay medals result from a deliberate strategy of funding athletes to run relays and involving them in regular relay practices.
As far as the individual medals go, only Georgia Bell’s magnificent national record in the 1500 for bronze might be called a surprise. To be honest, the five individual medals could have been even better. Matt Hudson-Smith was just 0.04 from gold, and Josh Kerr was just 0.14 seconds from winning. There are no medals for fourth, but Emile Cairess’ marathon finish was magnificent.
The Thrill of the Sprints: Close Calls The sprints showcased the athletes’ speed and determination. Darryl Neita’s fourth place in the 100m, just 0.04 from a medal, was a testament to the fierce competition. In the 200 m, Dina Asher-Smith’s fourth place and Neita’s fifth place, both within 0.02 and 0.03 from the medals, highlighted the small margins that can make a big difference in the sprints. A fit Zharnel Hughes would have indeed challenged for a men’s sprint medal.
Other magnificent achievements include Amber Anning, who followed a PR with a national record for fifth in the 400. How can you criticize Laura Muir, who set a national record at 1500 last month, ran faster in Paris but had to settle for fifth. Similarly, Lizzie Bird’s seventh place and national record in the 3000 Steeplechase was magnificent.
There were disappointments, too, with Morgan Lake, fourth in Budapest, failing at 1.92 in the high jump qualifying, and Molly Caudery, world lead in Pole vault at 4.92, perhaps coming in too late in the competition and registering no mark. It was just a bad day at the office. Ben Pattesen, bronze in the 800m in Budapest, failed to make the final, but only by 0.24 seconds.
There was a reality check in the women’s 800, where there was excited speculation that Britain might clean-sweep the medals. Keely Hodgkinson won, and while Jemma Reekie and Phoebe Gill ran 1:58 in the semis, 15 others did, and neither reached the final.
Similarly, Louie Hinchliffe, our new Carl Lewis-coached sprinter, ran 9.97 but needed a 9.93 to place in the final.
Overall, it was an excellent Olympics for Team GB
