My guest for today’s episode is Georgia Bell just a month or so after her first appearance on the show where we detailed her remarkable comeback to the sport. Well…now she’s an Olympic bronze medalist in the 1500m.

In the Olympic final, she shocked many – not really the CITIUS MAG crew – by running a British record of 3:52.61. She was just 0.05 seconds shy of a silver medal, but her perfectly timed push in the final stretch earned her a place on the podium, overtaking Ethiopia's Diribe Welteji by a mere 0.14 seconds.

As Faith Kipyegon claimed her third consecutive title, Bell’s remarkable performance capped an unforgettable night for Team GB. If you haven’t listened to her first episode go back and do that because this one picks up right where we left off in her season build-up to her first Olympic Games and and how she made history in the race of a lifetime.

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Guest: Georgia Bell | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@georgiabelltheduathlete on Instagram⁠⁠⁠

The following excerpt has been edited lightly for clarity. You can listen to the full interview with Georgia Bell on the CITIUS MAG Podcast – available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your shows.

CITIUS MAG: What did the London Diamond League do for your confidence leading into the Paris Olympics?

Georgia Bell: I had a really good lead into Paris for my confidence. The month of June was all about championship racing. We had the European Championships where I got a silver medal and the British Championships for our Olympic Trials where I won. Both of those were off relatively slow times, so then July was all about, ‘How fast can we run?’

I got a fast time at the London Diamond Leage in the 800m and I got a fast time at the Paris Diamond League for the 1500m. I think the combination of those two things, knowing tactically I've been able to get it done and then on paper also being able to do these good times, I think had a huge impact. Those times are so intimidating on paper. Before I’d run them, I just looked at the other athletes who'd run them and thought, ‘There's no way I'm ever going to be able to compete with them if they've run four, five, six seconds faster than me.

Then you put yourself in the same ballpark and suddenly you can step on the starting line with more confidence. That’s exactly what happened throughout the rounds in Paris. I gained more confidence every round. On the starting line, I just totally felt like I deserved to be there and I was capable.

CITIUS MAG: You posted a photo of your journal before the race. What did you write?

Georgia Bell: I wrote that morning. Nothing long, but just three main points of the race. The first one was, ‘I am worthy,’ because this whole year, I haven't felt like an imposter, but I've been constantly surprising myself and other people. (I was) like, ‘I'm serious, I'm going to the Olympics. Can I do it?’ I was like, ‘You know what? You are worthy. All those hours that you've put in alone training, all the races that you've done in your life, you can do this. You're ready for this.’ 

The other thing that really calmed me down was the fact that I was born in Paris like 30 years ago. I just couldn't get over how random, how unlikely the chances were. I genuinely told myself that I was born for it. On the start line, I kept saying that to myself. I was like, ‘I was born for this.’ It just made me feel like I was totally meant to be there, and as long as I was going to be brave, I would be rewarded.

The other thing I said was, ‘This will be the best moment of your life.’ That whole morning the day of the race, I just felt really happy and positive. I just woke up in a really good mood. It's something that will never happen again in the sense that people having a breakthrough season have no pressure on them, because in a way it's not an expectation that they're going to do well. If I bombed out in the first round, everyone would be like, ‘It’s a bit of a shame, but the fact that she got to the Olympics is pretty cool.’

I was just standing there without any pressure but equally being in the shape of my life and knowing I could do it. It was a really unique crossing over that I think will never happen again. From here on out, it will be like, ‘Georgia Bell, Olympic medalist, she should do really well in this race.’ That's what people at the top have to deal with all the time. I just really took advantage of the fact that this is a really unique moment in my career.

CITIUS MAG: With 100m to go in the 1500m final, you're in fourth place. There's obviously only three medals. What were you thinking at that point?

Georgia Bell: I was aware that I was in fourth place. I felt like I was working hard, but I still felt like I wasn't done yet. I was just pushing, pushing, pushing through that home straight, fighting for every step. Then there was a part of my mind that remembered the feeling of coming fourth at World Indoors. Anyone who’s come fourth by a small margin will know that it's the worst feeling, because you know that you are so close to a medal. I just remember thinking, ‘I'm not coming fourth again.’ That's when I did a surge. I nearly ended up getting second because that feeling came over me so strong.

CITIUS MAG: What were your thoughts and feelings after finishing the 1500m final?

Georgia Bell: I felt a little bit of frustration after the Paris Diamond League and London Diamond League. I felt like I had more. So I just said, ‘Whatever happens today, I literally want to be on the floor.’ I fully emptied the tank. I went so far into the red that I finished crossing the line knowing I couldn't have done a single thing different. I gave it my all. That was part of the plan. But obviously, as you can see, it did really tired me out. Even on our lap of honor at the end, I had to take a break because I was like, ‘That was so hard. I can't keep running.’

CITIUS MAG: You said at the beginning that there's pressure on you now along with the weight of expectations that come with being an Olympic medalist. How do you keep your head on your shoulders and not succumb to pressure from the public?

Georgia Bell: That's the thing that I really hope I don't lose next season. The feeling of standing on the starting line and feeling no pressure, feeling like there's no limits on what you can achieve, has honestly been game changing. Every race has gotten better as I’ve gained confidence. But once you make it to a certain level, it's easier to break that confidence because you've hit a new bar.

Ultimately, that's just how it goes. If you improve so much, if you get Olympic medals, then you get that pressure that comes with that. The main thing I can do is obviously just continue training, keep the setup I've got that's working, and just don't forget the enjoyment that I've had this season. Just make sure that I'm still enjoying every race, enjoying every session, and ultimately, I hope that will still mean that the results will come. 

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