by Stuart Weir
Georgia Bell – 2024, in her own words.
I have already written once about Georgia Bell this year and how a promising junior who had given up serious running returned to win and Olympic medal.
The amazing story of Georgia Bell – runblogrun
She is arguably the athlete of the year in terms to the progress she made. Starting the year as a person with a full-time office job. whose PR was 4:06.20 in the women’s 1500 and then taking over 13 seconds off it during to 2024 to finish with an Olympic medal is a remarkable story. I was privileged to see most of her 2024 races but rather than give you my opinion, let’s have Georgia’s assessment at all points.
In February she ran in the GB Indoor Champs winning in 4:09.66, commenting: “I am really happy with how the race went. I am glad I held the line. I gave it my all and it went as well as it could have. I am glad I am in PB shape. I am hoping this will give me the World Indoors qualification in a couple of weeks. I would never have expected to qualify for the Olympics but after the start to my season it is definitely in my sight now”.
She made the team for the World Indoors, finishing 4th in 4:03.47 where her assessment was: “It is a bit disappointing to come so close to the medals and just miss out. I was also just off a PB. I thought the race would at least be fast enough to be pulled around to an Olympic qualifying time, but we were about a second out. I have to just take a moment and reflect on how far I have come. It was a huge deal for me to even make this, so being disappointed with fourth shows that the goal posts keep changing for me. But I am very happy with fourth on my first appearance in a GB vest. I didn’t think I would ever be able to race on a track again, so to come here and perform at such a big home Championships is incredible and I am so happy I have had this experience”.
She was selected for the European Championships in Rome in June taking silver in 4:05.33, after which she spoke from the heart: “It sounds incredible to be a European silver medallist, I cannot stop smiling. I knew it was going to be a tough race up against a really good field. I just couldn’t stop smiling on the start line. This is just so fun to be here. I should be at work tomorrow morning, but I’m here competing at European Championships, so I am very happy. Even six months I would have thought you were crazy if you told me I’d win a European silver. I was unranked, unsponsored, PB in the 1500m was 4:06, which was nothing to get you anywhere near here. To see where I am now, I am very proud of myself, and I am excited for the future”.
The Olympics were now a realistic goal but the GB trials were stacked – 5 athletes already had the Olympic standard – with only the top two guaranteed a place. Georgia won – beating Laura Muir – in a tactical race in 4:10.69. Slightly overwhelmed, she commented: “It is amazing and hard to take in at the moment but I am sure it will hit me later that I have qualified for Paris. I was confident going in to today, taking a lot from my silver at the Europeans a couple of weeks ago. I knew it would be really hard today and even though I took a few years off I have been racing since I was 11 so to achieve this I am quite overwhelmed. The Europeans was so useful to learn how to navigate a championship and to run with an injury as my Achilles got spiked out there and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to race”.
If the GB trials was a slow race, the Meeting de Paris Diamond League was anything but. Faith Kipyegon won in a World Record 3:49.04, Laura Muir set a new GB record. Georgia was fifth, dipping under 4 minutes for the first time – by some margin – in a time of 3:56.54. Her reaction was: “It was amazing. I knew it was going to be a fast race today. Everyone said it was a fast track and with Faith Kipyegon going for it, I just hoped I could be pulled along. I felt the energy and I did a four second PB. It has been an incredible journey and has really ramped up the last few months and now I’ve made my first Olympic team but there’s still a lot to be done throughout the season. At the same time I’m very happy to see how the hard work is paying off”.
Her last race before the Olympics was at the London Diamond League, an 800 in which she was third in 1:56.28 behind Keely Hodgkinson and Jemma Reekie, with all three running PRs. Her short comment was: “I’m a Londoner so it’s cool to perform in London and I’m loving the experience. The 800m helps me with speed training for the 1500m”.
She progressed to the Olympic final with two 1:59s and produced the race of her life, breaking the GB record with 3:52.61 for bronze. As always her comments were calm and level-headed:
“I only thought this week in the heats that I could medal. As long as I didn’t let the gap go and I was there I could close it. The tough part was in the middle, where I thought this is really going to hurt. But I knew that I had to hang on and finish strong. I can’t believe what’s just happened. I know that my training has gone really well and I know I’ll never be in the same position again where I come into a games with no pressure. Even making it to the Olympics, this is huge”.
She finished her season at the 2-day Diamond League final in Brussels, coming second in the 800 in 1:57.50, when she summed up her race and a remarkable season: “I tried to give myself the best shot of racing Mary [Moraa] but you know she is finishing so strong. The track is so fast and am happy that we are still running 1:57 this late in the season. Honestly, this season has been incredible. I had never run in a Diamond League before May. I just know that there is so much going on behind the scenes. One year ago, I would have never believed to finish second here. A lot has changed in the last six months. Just keep going, even if it’s an unconventional path, doesn’t mean it’s impossible, you just keep working and will get there. I am glad that I didn’t give up”.
The following night she came back and ran in the 1500m Diamond League final finishing seventh in 3:58.95. Seventh in a Diamond League final would have been beyond her dreams a year previously, now it seems average – but a remarkably achievement to reach two Diamond League finals and have the legs to run both in 24 hours.
I genuinely believe, Georgia is the athlete of the year.
