TORUN, Poland: Keely Hodgkinson headlined a 'Super Sunday' for Britain at the world indoor championships as she stormed to victory in the 800m just minutes after teammates Georgia Hunter Bell and Molly Caudery had also triumphed.
Hodgkinson was then back on the track to anchor the British women's team in the championship-ending 4x400m relay, but they could only finish fifth in a race won by the USA.
Hodgkinson set a new world indoor record over 800m last month and proceeded to clock the second fastest time ever run over the distance for a stunning individual victory — and a first global gold.
"I'm just happy and healthy to finish and, finally, to come into a championships as favourite and actually finish on top," said Hodgkinson, who clocked a blistering 1min 55.30sec for the win.
She was welcomed at the line by training partner Hunter Bell, who had just won the 1,500m, and Caudery, winner of the women's pole vault. The three golds came within the space of 28 minutes.
"There has been a lot going on in the last hour — everything seems a bit blurry to me!" said Hodgkinson, hailing herself and her gold medal-winning teammates as "three great examples" of British girls.
Hunter Bell had impressively reeled in Ethiopian front runner Birke Haylom at the bell to produce a crushing final lap in her race.
She clocked 3:58.53 for gold — her first global victory after world indoor bronze last year, an Olympic bronze in the 1,500m and world outdoor silver in the 800m.
"This victory is so sweet," said Hunter Bell. "It's such a relief to win a gold medal. I knew I had to prepare mentally before coming here as a favourite.
"I was asking myself today why was I stressing, I knew I could win it. There were a lot of instincts today. There was a gap and I felt the pressure from the pack — I knew I had to close that gap."
Caudery, who previously won world indoor gold in Glasgow in 2024, was also not to be denied, clearing 4.85m to see off the challenge from Slovenia's Tina Sutej.
It was some reward for an athlete who went out of the heats at the Paris Olympics and was unable to compete at last year's world outdoors in Tokyo after sustaining an injury in the warm-up.
"This gold means so much more this time. I had a really tough two years so I really needed this," she said.
"Two years ago in Glasgow it was a 'Super Sunday' for GB as Josh Kerr and I won gold medals, today feels like a 'Super Sunday', too. It's like repeating history but even better. Georgia and Keely have been amazing and I could have not wished for a better evening."
CHARLTON MATCHES WR
In a heedy night's track and field, Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas matched her own world record when she defended her 60m hurdles title in 7.65 seconds.
"I knew I had run the world record, I knew I had it when I crossed the finish line," said Charlton, who overcame an early stumble.
"I know I could have run a bit faster too but, not having the best start, I will take it... I am really proud to win my third world indoor title in a row."
Spain's Mariano Garcia won the men's 1,500m crown, outsprinting Portugal's world champion Isaac Nader for victory in 3:39.63.
Garcia became the first athlete in world indoor history to win titles at both the 800 and 1,500m, having won the former in Belgrade in 2022.
Cooper Lutkenhaus won the 800m this time around, the 17-year-old American prodigy clocking 1:44.24 for gold to confirm his status as an absolute track star in the making.
"I came out here thinking I probably wasn't the favourite but any time I feel like I can step into a final I have a chance to win," said Lutkenhaus.
"Maybe it came from confidence or maybe from being too young but I really wanted to try to make a defining move."
Belgium's silver medallist Eliott Crestan said the American was "an incredible talent winning at 17 years of age. I think he can be the future Rudisha", in reference to the Kenyan legend David.
Sofie Dokter of the Netherlands claimed gold in the pentathlon with 4,888 points, 28 ahead of American Anna Hall, while Portugal's Gerson Balde won the men's long jump with a best of 8.46m and the US team won the men's 4x400m relay. — AFP
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