There was little time to celebrate for Georgia Hunter Bell after winning her world indoor title as the Brit opened her outdoor season at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne today (28).
The day after taking her maiden global gold Hunter Bell started 34 hours of travelling to get to Melbourne, where she ran 4:01.52 for second.
It was Australia’s 20-year-old Claudia Hollingsworth that nipped the world champion to the line in a meeting record of 4:01.30.
Last year Hunter Bell raced 15 times outdoors after another extensive indoor season, however just four of those were over 1500m.
As the season builds towards the Birmingham 2026 European Athletics Championships, Hunter Bell may explore the possibility of competing in both the 800m and 1500m.
Olympic, world and European indoor 4x400m and 400m medallist Tony van Diepen also opened his outdoor season with 1:46.19 in the 800m after narrowly missing out on a relay medal at world indoors.
Great Britain’s Lawrence Okoye also competed in Melbourne, with 65.09m in the discus, falling just shy of the Birmingham 2026 qualifying standard.
It was his second competition of the season after opening with 65.28m on 14 March in Adelaide as the British record holder looks to make a home European podium in summer.