Withdrawing from the London Diamond League ten days ago, with no explanation beyond illness, Georgia Hunter Bell left plenty of questions unanswered. For an athlete in the middle of a season-defining stretch, going silent is never ideal. The 800m and 1500m national champion has since got her voice back, literally, and wasted little time making up for lost time at the Commonwealth Games. On Monday night in Glasgow, she gave the clearest update yet on what her illness actually cost her.

The 32-year-old touched upon her ordeal and just how badly it disrupted the last ten days of her life, including forcing her out of the London Diamond League.

“Yeah, good,” Hunter Bell told reporters (via X). “I’ve got my voice back, which is really nice. Went for about a week there but yeah, I feel good. Back in training, so all good.

“It is disruptive. Like, getting sick is really disruptive in the season ’cause it’s not just that you miss racing, but it’s like you’ve gotta adjust training. So where you would be, like, really pushing into the red, you obviously can’t do that. So we just managed it really well and yeah, I’m really happy with where I am.”

It marked a tough time for her, with it likely stretching to the Prefontaine Classic as well. There, for the first time this season, Georgia Hunter Bell failed to make the podium. She finished well off the pace in eighth place with 4:18.52 in the mile. Nikki Hiltz, the winner, clocked 4:17.59, putting the British star more than a second behind the lead pack.

That stunned fans, especially since the 32-year-old had crossed the line in 3:55.63 to win the 1500m at the Paris Diamond League. It extended her winning streak to four consecutive races (heats and finals), a list that included the British championships and the Monaco DL. However, now it’s clear that Hunter Bell was suffering from an illness, although her performance in Glasgow showed she’s back.

The 32-year-old clocked a respectable 2:02.61 in the 800m heats at the Commonwealth Games to secure her place in the semi-final. And in the absence of her best-friend/training partner/rival/fellow Olympic medalist Keely Hodgkinson, Georgia Hunter Bell is the favourite. It won’t be easy though as her semi-final has the Olympic medallist up against Jemma Reekie, Janet Jepkemoi and a few others.

Even though it’s her first ever Games, she hopes to do exactly what she has managed throughout her breakout season. Win and make the most of every opportunity to compete in front of a home crowd. With Glasgow followed by the European Championships in Birmingham, Hunter Bell admitted there was never any doubt about trying to race at both events.

Georgia Hunter Bell reflects on two competitions on home soil

Few track and field athletes have a story as impressive as Georgia Hunter Bell. A talented teenage distance-runner, injuries and a struggle to improve saw her leave the sport once she graduated. But given how intertwined running was with her life, the Olympian eventually found her way back. It took time and a lot of effort, but it all paid off, with a comeback in 2022.

Since then, Georgia Hunter Bell has been flying. 2024 was her year, winning a catalogue of meets and doing the impossible: making the Great Britain Olympic team. Few expected her to even be in the conversation for the team, let alone make the final cut. And yet there she was, a well-deserved place after a silver at the European Championships alongside a variety of other medals.

In Paris, Hunter Bell went on to win bronze in the 1500m, returned and won silver in the 800m Diamond League final. 2025 saw her win silver at the 2025 World Championships, and she started 2026 with her first World Indoor Championships gold.

Now, she’s chasing after more golds at the Commonwealth Games and the upcoming European Championships. What makes it special is the fact that they’re both being held on home soil; one in Glasgow and the other in Birmingham.

“I want to take advantage of every opportunity and the fact both are on home soil in Glasgow and in Birmingham means I absolutely want to run in front of a home crowd,” Hunter Bell told the Mirror. “Any opportunity to win a medal, I want to be there. I feel like I’m in really good shape so it would be such an exciting opportunity to do that.

“I feel very lucky that it’s crossed over into my career because athletes’ careers can be 10 to 15 years and you may never race on home soil. To have two in one summer is so special. I was absolutely going to always take advantage of that.” 

With the illness behind her, Georgia Hunter Bell has quickly put the disruption of the last fortnight behind her at exactly the right time. Now, with two major championships on home soil still ahead, she has the chance to go into the most successful stretch of her career.