Olympic qualifier for Alex Bell in Birmingham
Alex Bell had her best race of the year but it proved too late for selection for the World Championships.
In mightily impressive fashion in wet and breezy conditions, Bell ran a BMC members record 1:59.43 which moves her to sixth on the 2023 UK list. She was also the seventh British athlete to better the Budapest standard of 1:59.80.
It was her fastest time since her seventh place in Tokyo in 2021.
The Olympic finalist, who had finished sixth in last year's European and Commonwealths, won by around two seconds from American's McKenna Keegan, Emily Richards and Aussie Carley Thomas. Niamh Bridson-Hubbard finished eighth in a PB 2:04.45.
The third selection spot in Britain's team at 800m went to multi European age-group champion Isabelle Boffey who had finished fifth to Bell's third in the trials.
Boffey ran a superb 1:59.30 at Madrid the day before Bell ran in Tooting Bec. Bell stated she had attempted to also get a lane in Madrid without luck.
View this post on Instagram
The team for Budapest was actually selected before Bell's 800m in London and although she ran under the standard last year, it was insufficient to justify selection with the selectors prioritising marks set in 2023.
Bell has a better championship record but Boffey has gone sub-2:01 on six occasions indoors and outdoors this season. She also finished second at the European Team Championships.
However, Bell did then clock 1:59.28 in Birmingham three days later (July 29), a time below the Olympic qualifying standard. Many feel that Bell was harshly treated by the selectors.
New Zealand's Sam Tanner won a high-quality 1500m in a BMC all-comers record of 3:35.15 with Callum Elson second in a PB 3:35.39 which was a BMC members record.
3:35:15 BMC Record for Sam Tanner 🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/1hRvdNPhvt
— James Rhodes (@James_Athletics) July 26, 2023
Elson went under 3:40 for the first time in June.
Former European youth 3000m winner Thomas Keen broke new ground with 3:37.11 in fourth while Emsley Carr mile winner Adam Fogg was fifth in 3:37.34. In sixth, Archie Davis was also inside 3:38.
Joe Wigfield (3:37.54) and Henry McLuckie (3:37.57) set personal bests.
Sam Reardon won the men's 800m in 1:47.31.
Jonathan Escalante-Phillips claimed victory in the 5000m in 14:02.41 just ahead of Oscar Bell's 14:03.30 PB.
Hannah Irwin was the fastest woman with a time of 15:46.03 just ahead of English national cross-country champion Sarah Astin's 15:49.18, with former British champion Steph Twell setting a season's best of 15:58.30 just ahead of Rebecca Johnson's 15:58.48 PB.
Men: 800: A: 1 S Reardon (B&B) 1:47.31; 2 H Fisher (B&B) 1:48.25; 3 D Locke (Card) 1:50.01; 4 M Wilson (Sun) 1:50.12; 5 J Atherton (AUS) 1:51.38. B: 1 J Gumm (Phoe) 1:49.01; 2 F O'Brien (NEB) 1:49.71; 3 J Chambers (Ton) 1:49.79; 4 J Dickson (K&P) 1:49.98; 5 A Dray (Phoe) 1:50.07. C: 4 V Nutakor (NEB, M35) 1:53.90; 5 J Keir (Inv EK, U20) 1:53.99; 7 S Stapley (Reig, U17) 1:55.59. D: 1 R Forbes (Optima, U20) 1:55.25. E: 2 S Sprostranov (Craw, U17) 1:58.29. 1500: A: 1 S Tanner (NZL) 3:35.15; 2 C Elson (C&C) 3:35.39; 3 J Reniewicki (USA) 3:36.02; 4 T Keen (C&C) 3:37.11; 5 A Fogg (Cov) 3:37.34; 6 J Sharp (AUS) 3:37.50; 7 J Gormley (Shef/Dearn) 3:37.51; 8 J Wigfield (Wirr) 3:37.54; 9 H McLuckie (SB) 3:37.57; 10 A Davis (Phoe) 3:37.98; 11 J Thomas (AUS) 3:38.63; 12 C Davies (AUS) 3:41.57. B: 1 K Imroth (SB) 3:46.30; 2 W Singleton (Shrews, U20) 3:47.77. C: 1 J O'Connell (AFD, U20) 3:56.44; 2 S Nesbitt (AFD, U20) 3:56.54; 4 A Lennon (Sutt, U17) 3:58.19; 11 M Cummings (Herne H, M35) 4:00.57. D: 6 J Scanes (B&B, U15) 4:01.41; 12 L Jolly (Read, M40) 4:06.04. E: 11 E Brady (HW, M35) 4:13.34. 5000: A: 1 J Escalante-Phillips (C&C) 14:02.41; 2 O Bell (Herts P) 14:03.30; 3 S Gebreselassie (Belg) 14:10.20; 4 A Fyfe (Edin) 14:11.29; 5 H McGill (AUS) 14:16.76; 6 E Wilson (Charn) 14:18.11; 7 S Bramwell (Herne H) 14:25.62; 10 S Hodgson (WSEH, U20) 14:52.15; 11 R Wood (BMH, M35) 14:53.26; 14 E Hind (Mil K, M35) 14:59.24; 16 M Dubery (Ton, U20) 15:06.76
Women: 800: A: 1 A Bell (P&B) 1:59.43; 2 M Keegan (USA) 2:01.21; 3 E Richards (USA) 2:01.36; 4 C Thomas (AUS) 2:01.60; 5 E Sanford (AUS) 2:03.17; 6 R Walcott-Nolan (Lut) 2:03.43; 7 M Meyer (USA) 2:03.81; 8 N Bridson Hubbard (B&B) 2:04.45; 9 E Donaghu (USA) 2:05.74. B: 3 E Harrold (Chelm, U15) 2:16.28; 4 I Williams (B&B, U15) 2:16.28. C: 7 F de Mauny (Herne H, W40) 2:26.97. 1500: A: 1 G Bell (SB) 4:12.16; 2 R Walcott-Nolan (Lut) 4:13.15; 3 R Greene (NZL) 4:13.92; 4 K Dommersnes (NOR) 4:14.06; 5 V Henriksen (NOR) 4:23.03; 6 L Hawkins (Soton) 4:23.97; 7 H Hall (Win, W35) 4:25.68; 8 P Roessler (AFD, U20) 4:28.38; 9 K Willis (Norw) 4:28.52; 11 S Storms (Unatt, U17) 4:32.65; 12 R Clutterbuck (WSEH, U20) 4:32.94; 13 I Harrison (HW, U15) 4:42.94; 14 P Taylor (Win, U15) 4:45.36
Mixed events: 800: D: 6 A Haines (Phoe, M55) 2:08.53; 7 A Ridley (Vets, M55) 2:09.24. E: 2 C Wormley (Craw, U20W) 2:08.90; 3 L Wormley (Craw, U20W) 2:09.73; 7 C Kelly-Gordon (B&B, U20W) 2:11.56; 8 S Atkinson (Phoe, M55) 2:11.99. 5000: B: 3 H Irwin (C&C, W) 15:46.03; 4 S Astin (Belg, W) 15:49.18; 6 S Twell (AFD, W) 15:58.30; 7 R Johnson (High, W) 15:58.48; 8 R Paranandi (Herne H, M45) 16:00.14; 11 R Murray (Bed C, W) 16:13.34; 12 H Viner (High, W) 16:27.85; 15 N Sturzaker (Herne H, W50) 18:13.85
Full results on Power of 10 here
Alex Bell set an Olympic qualifying mark of 1:59.28 and improved her BMC members' record.
Bell ran a fast 57.6 first lap and hung on to win by three seconds from former European junior champion Khasisa Mhlanga (2:02.59).
After the race, Bell said: "I set myself the goal of Wednesday being a heat and this being the semi-final.
"Two BMC records in a week and two season's bests. I'm always pleased with the support here and a great crowd. You never know what weather you are going to get though but I'm always pleased with the support here.
"Every race this year I've got faster. The conditions were bad with the circling wind everywhere. The pacer slowed and I knew what high-57 at 400m felt like and to get the Olympic qualifier I knew I had to push on and use my intuition.
"Me and my team knew what I was capable of and it's shame other people can't see how the trajectory is going. I'm disappointed but it's not something I can't deal with as it's happened in the past.
"There's not much on the agenda now with the World Championships as it's quiet now but I'm free to race anywhere and have some fun with it."
Still bemused by her exclusion, she said: "I've had no response from WCP Endurance Performance Manager Steve Vernon about the questions and texts I've sent him."
Bell's outdoor 800m women's track races in 2023
June 6: Bydgoszcz 7th 2:02.72
June 13: Stretford 1st 2:01.56
June 18: Poznan 3rd 2:01.48
July 8: UKA heat 3rd 2:01.35
July 9: UKA final 3rd 2:00.68
July 26: BMC Tooting 1st 1:59.43
July 29: BMC Birmingham 1st 1:59.28
Boffey, who ran 2:00.45 indoors, clocked outdoor marks of 1:59.30, 2:00.18, 2:00.39, and 2:00.44, giving her five faster marks in 2023 than Bell's best prior to the selection meeting.
Joe Wigfield had a five second win in the 1500m in 3:38.96.
Niamh Bridson-Hubbard was close to her best in triumphing in the women's race in 4:11.13 with Budapest-bound at 5000m Amy-Eloise Markovc showing good speed in third in 4:12.70.
Eight of the first 12 set personal bests in the men's 3000m (and nine out of the first 10 in the B race) with James Gormley taking eight seconds off his previous best to break the 7:50 barrier.
Three days after setting a 1500m PB at Tooting, he won in 7:49.61 ahead of newly crowned English 5000m champion Alfie Manthorpe who ran 7:53.54.
Australian Lauren Ryan won the women's race in 8:53.75 with Beth Kidger setting a PB in third in 9:06.29 ahead of Innes Fitzgerald's 9:07.85.
American Madie Boreman led home the women's 2000m steeplechase in 6:09.81 with Poppy Tank third in 6:28.40, a time that moves her to eighth in the UK all-time list.
Micky Ayling set a UK under-17 800m lead of 1:49.89 winning the D race in a time only fractionally slower than the A race. Ayling, who finished second in the Schools International at 400m, now moves to fourth all-time and is only the fifth athlete to break 1:50.
His previous best was 1:51.33 in the AAA Under-20 heats and the next quickest under-17 this year Tom Waterworth, the ESAA and Schools International two-lap winner, won the E race in a PB 1:52.02.
Men: 800: A: 1 J Davies (Bath) 1:49.84; 2 J McMurray (St Alb) 1:49.91; 3 D Walton (B'burn) 1:49.98; 4 A Beddoes (COK) 1:50.40; 5 E Savage (Sale, U20) 1:50.95; 6 M Wharton (Sale) 1:51.31. B: 1 J Sispal (Leam) 1:50.96; 2 B Gardiner (B&B) 1:51.09; 3 B Murphy (Ton) 1:51.37; 4 J White (Ports) 1:51.65; 5 F Hutchinson (Notts, U20) 1:51.74. C: 1 M Waterworth (Phoe, U20) 1:51.22; 2 A Dray (Phoe) 1:51.93; 6 J Phillips (Kil'k, U20) 1:53.68. D: 1 M Ayling (St Ed, U17) 1:49.89; 2 S O'Loughnane (BMH, U20) 1:51.21; 5 H Ware (BMH, U20) 1:52.83; 6 C Mcleod (Pit, U20) 1:52.83. E: 1 T Waterworth (Hunts, U17) 1:52.02; 5 W Steadman (Chelm, U20) 1:54.76; 6 M Al-Gadi (QAT, U20) 1:55.19; 8 J Kinrade (Shrews, U17) 1:55.42. F: 2 J Vaughan (Bir, U20) 1:53.52; 4 J Organ (Brec, U20) 1:54.15; 5 S Temple (Hart AC, U20) 1:54.45. Ht: 1 W Rabjohns (Poole, U20) 1:52.64; 2 B Brooker (Kett, U20) 1:54.63; 3 M Brunnock (Western Tempo, U20) 1:54.69; 4 F White (Bir, U20) 1:54.79; 5 J Phillips (Kil'k, U20) 1:55.46; 6 S Atkins (K&P, U20) 1:55.66; 8 F Shepherd (M&M, U17) 1:57.60. 1500: A: 1 J Wigfield (Wirr) 3:38.96; 2 B West (MKDP) 3:44.16; 3 S Charig (Ports) 3:44.43; 4 W Lewis (AUS) 3:44.75; 5 M Heyden (AFD) 3:44.83; 6 J Gumm (Phoe) 3:45.02; 7 K Elliott (Falk) 3:46.19; 8 J Patton (Kilb) 3:46.29. B: 1 T Chamberlain (Holm) 3:47.29; 2 W Perkin (TVH) 3:48.41; 5 D Proctor (Sale, M35) 3:50.84; 6 D Jones (Swan, U20) 3:51.99. C: 1 L Minale (Gate) 3:49.12; 3 J Keir (Inv EK, U20) 3:51.78; 4 N Bennett (R&N, U20) 3:52.11; 6 M Wilsmore (B&W, M35) 3:53.34; 8 M Clark (Prest, U17) 3:55.30. D: 4 L Small (Ashf, U20) 3:56.53. E: 2 J Small (Ashf, U20) 3:57.59; 4 E Taylor (C&C, U17) 3:58.65; 8 R Brown (Tm E Loth, U17) 4:00.67. 3000: A: 1 J Gormley (Shef/Dearn) 7:49.61; 2 A Manthorpe (Shef/Dearn) 7:53.54; 3 M Clarke (AUS) 7:55.09; 4 J Eisa Mohammed (ART) 7:56.41; 5 O Perrin (Menai) 7:56.58; 6 C Wheeler (MKDP) 7:56.86; 7 G Wheeler (MKDP) 7:57.64; 8 B Potrykus (WG&EL) 7:58.93; 9 A Penney (HW) 8:01.99; 10 A McMillan (York) 8:04.19; 11 J Goodwin (Bed C) 8:04.94; 12 D Bebbington (B'burn) 8:06.88; 13 J Skelly (Linc W) 8:07.72; 14 A Kinloch (Ton) 8:08.35; 15 K Imroth (SB) 8:08.74; 16 B MacMillan (Centr) 8:10.90; 17 J Sanderson (G&G) 8:13.28; 18 E Bird (Poole, U20) 8:13.65; 19 K Reilly (Ton) 8:20.02; 20 Z Seddon (Brack) 8:25.50. B: 1 H Wakefield (Salf) 8:07.24; 2 B Alcock (Bed C) 8:11.73; 3 S Byrne (Swin, M35) 8:13.32; 4 W Singleton (Shrews, U20) 8:14.55; 5 R Miell-Ingram (Rad, U20) 8:15.43; 6 R Martin (Centr) 8:17.71; 7 J McCrae (Hallam) 8:18.49; 8 A Ediker (C'field) 8:18.77; 9 F Hutchinson (Leeds C) 8:19.43; 10 L Rawlings (Shrews) 8:19.53; 11 T Shaw (York, U20) 8:19.77; 12 J Deacon (Chor ATC, U20) 8:21.51; 13 C Bowen-Jones (NEB) 8:23.20; 14 L Sheppard Brown (Card) 8:24.62; 15 A Brown (Morp) 8:24.78; 16 E Wilson (Charn) 8:25.20; 17 P Cameron (Edin) 8:25.96; 18 J Rennie (Read) 8:35.05. 2000SC: A: 1 N Carabana (AND) 5:26.50; 2 B Buckingham (AUS) 5:26.91; 3 E Trippas (AUS) 5:26.93; 4 P Norman (WG&EL) 5:29.37; 5 T Karbo (NOR) 5:34.47; 6 M Pearce (SB) 5:39.79; 7 S Costley (Soton) 5:46.91; 8 F Cooper (Yate, U20) 6:00.32; 10 T Manton (Stock H, U20) 6:08.59; 11 B Price Davies (Brec) 6:16.56
Women: 800: A: 1 A Bell (P&B) 1:59.28; 2 K Mhlanga (Herts P) 2:02.59; 3 J Selman (Fife) 2:04.01; 4 S Calvert (Living) 2:04.40; 5 J Cherry (VPCG) 2:04.42; 6 S Driscoll (Liv H) 2:05.14. B: 1 A Gisbourne (Bury, U17) 2:07.26; 2 I Downes (Shrews, U20) 2:08.05; 3 E Colbourn (H'gate, U20) 2:08.16; 4 G Vans Agnew (Phoe) 2:08.59; 6 A Stratton (B'burn, U20) 2:14.25. C: 1 H Parker (E&H) 2:07.71; 2 B Trow (Shrews, U17) 2:08.04; 3 M Deadman (BMH) 2:08.56; 4 H Tuson (Yeov O) 2:08.90; 6 A Bennett (Kett, U20) 2:10.63. D: 1 J Lark (W Ches, U17) 2:08.56; 3 A Hedge (St Alb, U20) 2:11.85; 4 I Burke (Sale, U20) 2:13.39; 5 E Bartalotta (Salf, U17) 2:13.50; 6 A Jones (Prest, U17) 2:14.65. E: 1 E Davies (Brack, U17) 2:14.05. 1500: A: 1 N Bridson Hubbard (B&B) 4:11.13; 2 H Bains-Kaur (IND) 4:11.85; 3 A Markovc (Wake) 4:12.70; 4 M Meyer (USA) 4:13.11; 5 E Donaghu (USA) 4:14.13; 6 R Greene (NZL) 4:14.61; 7 M Davies (Sale) 4:15.13; 8 A Griffiths (AFD) 4:17.17; 9 S Tait (Jag) 4:17.30; 10 S King (W&SV, U17) 4:19.31; 11 A Shipley (MKDP) 4:21.42; 12 L Church (Read) 4:22.55; 13 T Simpson (Shef/Dearn) 4:27.41. B: 1 K Pye (AFD, U17) 4:27.20; 6 L Langan (York, U17) 4:33.76; 9 K Brady-Jones (Wirr, U20) 4:36.85. C: 2 L Saxon (SSH, U20) 4:34.72; 3 E Powell (Abing, U17) 4:37.23; 4 I Courtney (Wells, U20) 4:38.75; 5 J March (Barn, U15) 4:40.27; 6 L Mico (Worc, U17) 4:40.63; 9 I Williams (B&B, U15) 4:44.05. 3000: A: 1 L Ryan (AUS) 8:53.75; 2 C Adams (AUS) 9:02.16; 3 B Kidger (Phoe) 9:06.29; 4 I Fitzgerald (Exe, U20) 9:07.85; 5 K Dommersnes (NOR) 9:08.83; 6 J Nesbitt (P'pridd R) 9:13.72; 7 S Astin (Belg) 9:14.32; 8 H Irwin (C&C) 9:15.35; 9 J Bailey (Lev V, U20) 9:22.20; 10 A Nerurkar (Phoe) 9:23.08; 11 P Stone (M'bro) 9:27.90; 12 R Flaherty (Bing, U20) 9:38.49; 13 N Brown (AFD) 9:39.69; 14 A Garner (AFD) 9:41.85; 15 L Huxley (Prest, U20) 9:43.07; 16 A Barbour (WSEH) 9:46.49; 17 M Lyons (Card, U20) 9:46.68; 18 H Blundy (Wells, U20) 9:48.73; 19 B Oates (AUS, U20) 9:54.81; 20 R Hamilton-James (W'bury) 9:55.88. 2000SC: A: 1 M Boreman (USA) 6:09.81; 2 J Hvid (DEN) 6:17.78; 3 P Tank (Ply) 6:28.40; 4 V Henriksen (NOR) 6:29.49; 5 G Phelan (Wirr, U20) 6:46.32; 6 C Hammett (THH) 6:51.16; 7 R Clutterbuck (WSEH, U20) 6:52.08; 8 L Hall (AFD) 6:52.89; 9 M Collings (Woking) 6:57.33; 10 J Heller (WSEH, U17) 7:09.26; 11 D Slattery (Salf, U17) 7:19.94
Full results on Power of 10 here
» Subscribe to AW magazine here
» For more recent results, CLICK HERE
