Three was the magic number on the last night of athletics as Team GB won a hat-trick of bronze medals at the Stade de France.

Georgia Bell (Trevor Painter, Belgrave) got the ball rolling with a sensational third-placed finish in the women’s 1500m, before the two 4x400m relay teams matched her on a historic night.

Bell, who quit due to a build-up of injuries in 2017 but returned to work under Trevor Painter two years ago, set a new national record of 3:52.61, while Laura Muir (Steve Vernon, Dundee Hawkhill) finished fifth in a rapid race.

The hat-trick of medals takes the overall tally of medals in athletics to 10, a total that has not been bettered since 1984 in Los Angeles.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever been this happy,” Bell said.

“That was an absolutely crazy race. I woke up this morning really calm and in a very good mood and thought I’m not the fastest person in that race but if I was brave and got stuck in then I can make something happen.

“So yeah over the moon and I’m an Olympic medallist.”

Georgia Bell’s first Olympic Games✨

A race that puts her 11th on the all-time list 🤯

That was incredible.
#WhereItStarts pic.twitter.com/RoCGO7HBDr

— British Athletics (@BritAthletics) August 10, 2024

Bell and Muir deployed contrasting tactics in the race. While Bell opted to stick with the leaders on what was a rapid first lap, Muir was content to sit back and allow a gap to develop.

As the race progressed and the pace slowed, the Scot reeled the leaders back in and, by the time, of the final lap, there was a five-way shoot-out for gold.

Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon kicked the hardest down the back straight and ran clear to the gold medal in a new Olympic record time, while Australia’s Jessica Hull was second.

Bell and Muir appeared set for fourth and fifth but Bell overhauled a tiring Diribe Welteji to bag a medal.

Then in the space of 15 minutes, the relays added further medals to the growing pile.

Room for one more, @MuseeLouvre? 🖼#WhereItStarts #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/ggGdb7pBuk

— British Athletics (@BritAthletics) August 10, 2024

The two medals in the 4x400m ensured that Britain have come away with medals in every relay, 4x100m for men and women, as well as 4x400m for men, women and mixed.

Alex Haydock-Wilson (Earl Herbert, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow), Lewis Davey (Trevor Painter, Newham & Essex Beagles), Charlie Dobson (Leon Baptiste, Colchester)  and individual 400m silver medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith (Gary Evans, Birchfield Harriers) took bronze behind USA and Botswana.

They did so in a new European record of 2:55.83, with Hudson-Smith running the second fastest leg of the entire race.

“It was an amazing Olympic Games,” he said. “I wanted to come away with two medals and to do this one for the boys. I’ve got the best team in the world, it’s an amazing feeling.”

Then, the quartet of Victoria Ohuruogu (Newham and Essex Beagles), Laviai Nielsen (Tony Lester, Enfield & Haringey), Scotland’s Nicole Yeargin (Vince Anderson, Pitreavie) and Amber Anning Chris Johnson, Brighton & Hove) did enough to hold off Ireland for bronze, setting a new national record in the process of 3:19.72.

Earlier in the evening, Max Burgin (Ian Burgin, Halifax Harriers) was just three tenths of a second outside his personal best time, but finished eighth in the final of a lightning quick 800m, while George Mills (Thomas Dreißigacker, Brighton Phoenix) came home in 21st place in the men’s 5000m.