Bell has Hodgkinson in her sights

Alex Bell insists she's hot on the heels of golden girl Keely Hodgkinson after a battling European Championship performance in Munich. The Leeds middle distance star finished sixth in Saturday night's 800m final as Olympic silver medallist Hodgkinson grabbed a brilliant gold. Ad Bell, 29, started the race strongly before fading on the final bend as Hodgkinson, who also won silvers at this summer's World Championships and Commonwealth Games, sauntered to a comfortable victory over Renelle Lamote and Anna Wielgosz.

AthleticsHudson-Smith helps secure scintillating European gold in MunichAN HOUR AGO Bell missed the start of a jam-packed athletics season with injury but believes she's back firing on all cylinders and could have reeled in Hodgkinson on another day. She said: «I was in contention and I feel I was in running behind Keely. »I thought when she goes, I'll go.

«But I just think I had too much to do coming off the final bend, being forced wide and obviously paying for it by coming sixth in the end. »I'm in the final and sixth best in Europe, so I'm really delighted and so happy regardless. «I could have potentially had more to give, and there's been a lot of bumps in the road and a few issues on the way.

»My season's basically only got really started when I went to Eugene at the World Championships. «I'm happy with what we've done and the progress we've made.» Bell crossed the line in a time of 2:00.68 behind fellow Brit Jemma Reekie, who finished fifth after enduring a turbulent season affected by suffering with glandular fever in February. After recovering in time for last month's World Championships, Bell finished seventh in her semi-final in Oregon before competing for Team England at the Commonwealth Games.