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This is Stuart Weir’s column about the surprising day of disappointments for Team GBR in Apeldoorn2025 on day two of the EICH25.
Difficult day for Team GB
Friday was a disastrous day for Team GB from start to finish! It started with Amber Anning, favorite for the 400m, running the fastest time in the heats by more than half a second – then being suddenly disqualified for lane infringements. The day ended with Georgia Hunter Bell, who appeared to be in control of the women’s 1500, suddenly being overtaken and run out of it. Neil Gourley, who was expected to medal, could only finish fourth. In the morning heats of the 800, only one out of six made it to the semi-finals. In the 400s, it was one from five.
Thank goodness for Revee Walcott-Nolan, who took bronze in that women’s 1500. Her first words after the final were “I am so happy!” and why not? She added: “My coach Thomas told me to get up the front in the top two and stay there. So that is what I was trying to do the whole race: stick to the plan for as long as possible. If I die, I die, but at least I know I have given it a go, and it paid off”. She is due for a double celebration as her 30th birthday was yesterday.
The winner was Agathe Guillemot (France) in 4:07.23 from Salomé Afonso (Portugal).
Georgia Hunter Bell was the favorite and the fastest in the field. She seemed to be in control of the race, but when Guillemot and Alfonso passed her on the final lap, she could not respond and was overtaken by Walcott-Nolan in the final meters. She finished in the same time—4:08.45—only separated by thousandths of a second to split bronze and fourth place.”
Hunter Bell said, “I don’t know what happened. I felt excellent yesterday; I felt smooth and thought I would win today. I didn’t think I would come fourth. I locked up there at the end. I am not sure what happened. I executed the whole plan until the last bit. I will have to go away and see. I have had an ear infection. I couldn’t hear from my ear, but I felt physically ok. I wasn’t expecting that today, and I am really gutted. Usually I can finish strong, but today I didn’t have it”.
The winner’s comments afterwards indicated some surprise at the outcome: “I prepared this gold medal during all the winter. I said to my coach ‘I will win this bronze medal, I don’t know how, but I will win it”. It was easier than yesterday’s heat. I realized yesterday that Georgia (Hunter Bell) had the perfect spot, running ahead of us and controlling everything. In this position, when you want to move ahead, you do it, and it’s harder for the others to get back to you.
“It’s incredible because I could celebrate my victory during the last 100m. At one point, I even wanted to wave at my coach and say, ‘Look, I’m winning!’ It was crazy. I won against Georgia Hunter Bell, and she had got a medal at the Olympic Games, so I think I did a perfect race.
It’s my first gold medal in a major championship. Last year, I won a bronze medal in Roma. This time, I will be able to hear the French anthem”.
Immediately after the women’s 1500m came the men’s, when Neil Gourley, another GB medal hope, could only finish fourth. He said: “I’m a bit battered but fine. Sometimes you make your own luck in races, and I maybe didn’t put myself in the best spot to deal with all the carnage such is the event. I’ll put myself in better positions in the future that one I just got a bit wrong today”.
Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day for Team GB.
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