Hodgkinson faces Hunter Bell showdown at Worlds

Georgia Hunter Bell and Keely Hodgkinson at Diamond League meeting in Lausanne, SwitzerlandGetty Images

Georgia Hunter Bell and Keely Hodgkinson are both coached by Trevor Painter

Timothy Abraham
BBC Sport journalist

Keely Hodgkinson will face a challenge from Georgia Hunter Bell at the World Championships after her Great Britain team-mate opted to just compete in the 800m in Tokyo.

Hunter Bell was weighing up whether to enter both the 800m and 1500m at the event which is being staged in Japan's capital from 13–21 September.

The 31-year-old recently met with British icon Dame Kelly Holmes, winner of 800m and 1500m golds at the 2004 Olympics, for advice on attempting a potential double.

However, she has selected to just race in the 800m after the Great Britain and Northern Ireland announced their team for Tokyo.

Olympic champion Hodgkinson, whose training partner is Hunter Bell, is the leading contender over 800m.

Hodgkinson, 23, returned from over a year out with a hamstring injury on 16 August with a world lead in Silesia and followed that up with a statement win at last week's Diamond League meeting in Lausanne.

Hunter Bell, who broke the British 1500m record to win Olympic bronze on her debut last summer, has a personal best of 1:56.28 in the 800m.

She shone in the 800m as a junior before quitting the sport for five years.

Elsewhere, 1500m runner Jake Wightman has been included in the team for Tokyo despite missing last month's trials at the UK Athletics Championships through illness.

Jazmin Sawyers will compete in the women's long jump having returned from a year out with a ruptured Achilles.

Also included in the 66-athlete party announced by UK Athletics are Olympic silver medallist Matt Hudson-Smith, women's sprint star Dina Asher-Smith and pole vaulter Molly Caudery.

Defending champions Katarina Johnson-Thompson (heptathlon) and Josh Kerr (1500m) have have been given wildcards by World Athletics.

Women's GB & NI squad for Tokyo

  • 100m & 200m: Dina Asher-Smith, Amy Hunt Daryll Neita.

  • 400m: Amber Anning, Yemi Mary John, Victoria Ohuruogu.

  • 800m: Georgia Hunter Bell, Keely Hodgkinson, Jemma Reekie.

  • 1500m: Laura Muir, Revee Walcott-Nolan, Erin Wallace.

  • 5000m: Melissa Country-Bryant, Innes FitzGerald, Hannah Nuttal.10,000m: Calli Hauger-Thackery*, Megan Keith*.

  • 400m hurdles: Lina Nielsen, Emily Newnham.

  • 3000m steeplechase: Elise Thorner, Sarah Tait*.

  • 100m hurdles: Marcia Sey*.

  • High jump: Morgan Lake*.

  • Long jump: Jazmin Sawyers.

  • Pole vault: Molly Caudery.

  • Hammer: Anna Purchase*.

  • Heptathlon: Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Jade O'Dowda*, Abigail Pawlett*.

  • 4×100: Dina Asher-Smith, Success Eduan, Joy Eze, Desiree Henry, Amy Hunt, Daryll Neita.

  • 4×400: Amber Anning, Hannah Brier, Poppy Malik, Yemi Mary John, Victoria Ohuruogu, Nicole Yeargin.

*Selected subject to confirmation of a qualifying world ranking position on midnight Saturday 30 August

Men's GB & NI squad for Tokyo

  • 100m: Jeremiah Azu, Romell Glave, Zharnel Hughes.

  • 200m: Toby Harries*, Zharnel Hughes.

  • 400m: Charlie Dobson, Matt Hudson-Smith, Samuel Reardon.

  • 800m: Max Burgin, Tiarnan Crorken, Ben Pattison.

  • 1500m: Elliot Giles, Neil Gourley, Josh Kerr, Jake Wightman.

  • 5000m: George Mills.

  • 3000m steeplechase: Zak Seddon. 35k race walk: Cameron Corbishley*.

  • 400m hurdles: Alastair Chalmers, Seamus Derbyshire, Tyri Donovan.

  • 110m hurdles: Tade Ojora*.

  • Marathon: Emile Cairess.

  • Discus: Lawrence Okoye, Nick Percy.

  • Hammer: Jake Norris*.

  • Shot put: Scott Lincoln*.

  • 4×400: Charlie Dobson, Lewis Davey, Toby Harries, Matt Hudson-Smith, Samuel Reardon, Lee Thompson.

  • 4×100: Eugene Amo-Dadzie, Jeremiah Azu, Jona Efoloko, Romell Glave, Louie Hinchliffe, Zharnel Hughes.

*Selected subject to confirmation of a qualifying world ranking position on midnight Saturday 30 August

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