Round Up of Day Two at the Ultimate Champs

European Champion Georgia Hunter Bell finished second in the women’s 1500m, clocking 3:57.72. In a tactical race that exploded into life over the final lap, Hunter Bell and the Diamond League winner, Kazimierska (POL) pulled away from the pack in the closing 200m before finishing runner-up.

The result capped another impressive performance for Hunter Bell, with three titles and now a second-place finish at her fourth major championship of the year.

“I’m so proud of myself. I’ve done absolutely everything I could this year. I had to get myself into a stronger place mentally after last week.” She told the BBC after the race.

European Champion Matthew Hudson-Smith opened the evening with a strong run in the men’s 400m, finishing fifth in 44.28. He flew out of the blocks in a very fast 200m and was in second throughout and was just 0.04 seconds away from third place in a blanket finish behind the winner, with a world-leading time from Kebinatshipi (BOT).

Keely Hodgkinson produced a determined performance to finish second in the women’s 800m, finishing second to Switzerland’s Audrey Werro in 1:56.26. Sitting comfortably on the shoulders of Werro and Broeders-Bol (NED) for much of the race, Hodgkinson launched her challenge in the final 100m but could not overhaul Werro, who held on for the title.

The result marked an impressive comeback following the hamstring injury she sustained in the European final.

“It’s been a bit of a frustrating season but I think overall, I’m finishing second in the world and I can’t really be too hard on myself for that,” Hodgkinson told the BBC.

Quadruple European gold medallist Amy Hunt began her championships in the women’s 100m, qualifying from her semi-final in fourth with 11.02 before placing eighth in the final in 11.09. The British sprinter will return for the women’s 200m, where she won world silver last year in Tokyo.

The two fastest men in Europe, Romell Glave and Jeremiah Azu, opened their individual campaign in the men’s 100m in the first semi-final. Both athletes made strong starts in a tight contest, being edged out over the final 40 metres, with Glave finishing sixth with 10.08 and Azu seventh with a time of 10.13.

British pair Max Burgin and Ben Pattison lined up in the second semi-final of the men’s 800m. Burgin stayed in the top three of the pack, but as the pace increased down the home straight in the last 100m, Burgin was unable to stay with the leading group and finished seventh with a time of 1:44.56, while Pattison crossed the line in eighth.

In the women’s 400m hurdles, Lina Nielsen maintained her rhythm through the opening half; she battled hard in the closing stages but couldn’t match the leaders, finishing seventh in her heat and 14th overall.