British teen sensation Phoebe Gill, 17, storms to victory in 800m final at UK Championships to secure her place at the Paris Olympics
The St Albans athlete showed maturity beyond her years to comfortably win Gill is down to compete in European U-18 Championships a week before ParisThose plans may have to change now she has booked her spot on British team
Another Olympic summer, another British teen sensation making waves in the women’s 800metres.
Three years ago, it was a 19-year-old Keely Hodgkinson who burst onto the scene to win a memorable silver medal at Tokyo 2020.
This time around it is 17-year-old Phoebe Gill, who stormed to victory at the UK Championships on Sunday to secure her spot on the British team at Paris 2024.
The St Albans athlete showed maturity beyond her years to comfortably beat the experienced Jemma Reekie in the 800m final in Manchester in a time of 1min 58.66sec.
And watching amazed by the side of the track was Hodgkinson, the Olympic gold medal favourite, who said with a smile: ‘She kind of reminds me of myself.’
Phoebe Gill stormed to victory at the UK Championships secure her spot the Paris Olympics
The St Albans athlete showed maturity beyond her years to claim victory in Machester
Gill is currently down to compete in the European Under-18 Championships in Slovakia just a week before the Olympics. Those plans, though, may have to change now she has booked her Eurostar seat to Paris.
‘I still kind of feel like I'm in a dream,’ admitted Gill, who is still without a sponsor, although that is set to change later this week. ‘It’s just unbelievable that this is happening. It’s like a whirlwind.
‘I can’t even believe that I’m going to be going to the Olympics, so I can’t tell you what I want to achieve there. Just the fact that I am going is incredible for me.
‘I got up at like 2am to watch Keely in the 800m at Tokyo. She is such an inspiration. I can’t believe I have just met her.’
Amazingly, Gill’s personal best of 1:57.86 is more than five seconds faster than Hodgkinson was at the same age. That time, which she ran in Belfast in May, broke a 45-year-old European U18 record and is the ninth best in the world this year. And all this from a girl who is still in the first year of sixth form, studying A-levels in biology, chemistry and maths.
‘I have some end-of-chapter tests coming up,’ said Gill, who was cheered on by her parents wearing ‘Run Phoebe’ T-shirts. ‘I am supposed to be revising this weekend but that’s not going to happen!’
Hodgkinson, who finished seventh in Sunday's 400m final with her 800m Paris place already safe, joked: ‘I am a veteran now at 22! It will be nice to have Phoebe on the team. She’s amazing.
‘I don’t want to put any pressure on her, but I think she is definitely up there with making the Olympic final if it goes the right way. I feel like amazing things are going to happen.’
Three years ago, it was a 19-year-old Keely Hodgkinson who burst onto the scene in Tokyo
There was drama in yesterday’s men’s 800m final, when world 1500m champion Josh Kerr and Elliot Giles collided on the home straight and crashed to the floor, with Ben Pattison and Max Burgin finishing first and second to qualify for the Games.
In the men’s 1500m, George Mills – the son of former England footballer Danny – secured his place in Paris after finishing second behind Neil Gourley. That result makes it almost impossible for 2022 world champion Jake Wightman, who missed these trials through injury, to be selected for the Olympics in the 1500m.
Earlier, Dina Asher-Smith won the 200m and world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson proved her form and fitness by running 23:20sec in the 200m heats, her fastest time in five years.