Georgia Hunter Bell and Jessica Hull begin at the back of the pack but a stumble by another athlete spooks both into making their way to the front and get themselves out of any trouble.

They are certainly the two favourites to come through this final heat, but the pace remains very relaxed and everyone is still in contention.

Steve Cram
1983 1500m champion on BBC Two

Image source, Reuters

Georgia Hunter Bell is racing very well, and that's key.

You don't just need the fast time - she's winning races.

She will be tough to beat. We're all talking about Keely of course, but Georgia has high expectations as well.

I see a lot of strength and maturity in her.

Can Georgia Hunter Bell ensure British interest continues in the women's 1500m?

The 32-year-old Olympic and world medallist is a strong contender for gold at these championships but, as we've just seen, the heats of middle distance events are often anything but straightforward.

Hunter Bell is captain of the British squad and will be keen to lead by example as she begins her bid for a fifth major international medal since winning her first in June 2024.

Image source, Getty Images

Paula Radcliffe
Former women's marathon world record holder on BBC Two

I think perhaps Reekie used that effort a few too many times early on, and didn't have enough left in the final 100m.

That was a messy, messy race to be in, the yo-yoing pace, the zig zag-ing - there were a lot of women moving in and out quickly.

Jemma nearly had enough. If not for that knock with 50m to go she might just have got there.

Heartbreak for Jemma Reekie - she comes across the line in fourth, one place outside the qualifying places.

Poland's Klaudia Kazimierska moved ahead of her in the closing stages and took second, while Birke Haylom of Ethiopia won the heat with a time of four minutes 10.66 seconds.

Reekie kicked on the final straight, but couldn't overtake Susan Lokayo Ejore-Sanders of Kenya, who finished third.

Image source, Getty Images

Ethiopia's Birke Haylom moves up front after 700m and the pace of the race picks up.

With two laps to go, Jemma Reekie sits in third.

Andrew Cotter
Commentator on BBC Two

They'd do loads of reps quicker than this in training.

Jemma Reekie leads the field out for the first 400m.

She's sat in the outside of the lane, inviting others to break.

No-one's having it at this stage.

Here's our first bit of British interest this evening - Jemma Reekie goes in heat two.

Other than Georgia Hunter Bell, Birke Haylom of Ethiopia is the only athlete in this field with a personal best under four minutes - she also goes in this race.

Paula Radcliffe
Former women's marathon world record holder on BBC Two

That was a classic demonstration of timing it right.

It was impressive from Agathe Guillemot - the way she cut in and out, throwing down the gauntlet and taking all the women by surprise.

It's a slow, tactical first race, with all eight athletes packed closely together.

Who will have the kick when it matter?

France's Agathe Guillemot is the first to burst into life before the final lap and leads American Nikki Hiltz and Italy's Ludovica Cavalli across the line in the three automatic qualification spots.

Four minutes 16.25 seconds is enough for the win there.

Image source, Getty Images

The first of three women's 1500m heats are under way.

Jemma Reekie goes in the second heat, while Georgia Hunter Bell has another gold medal contender for company in the third heat, in the shape of Australian Jessica Hull.

Image source, Getty Images

Any women's 1500m at a global championship which doesn't feature Kenyan great Faith Kipyegon represents a massive opportunity for everyone else.

With three Olympic and five world gold medals, Kipyegon continues to dominate outdoors. Indoors, the title is very much up for grabs - and Great Britain's Georgia Hunter Bell and Jemma Reekie will hope to be in the medal mix.

World 800m silver medallist Hunter Bell returns to the championships where she first made a British team two years ago, when she was still working full time while plotting a route to the top of the sport she decided to quit following a promising junior career.

She claimed bronze in Nanjing last year, but that has since been upgraded to a silver after a disqualification.

Reekie had to settle for world indoor 800m silver on home soil in 2024 but says she is feeling "no pressure" in Poland after choosing to step up in distance this time around.

Image source, Getty Images

Here's what we have to look forward to this evening (all times GMT):

• 17:10: Women's shot put final
• 17:16: Men's heptathlon - high jump
• 17:22: Women's 1500m round one (featuring Georgia Hunter Bell and Jemma Reekie)
• 17:54: Men's 1500m round one (featuring Jack Higgins and James McMurray)
• 18:35: Men's triple jump final
• 18:42: Women's 400m semi-finals
• 19:16: Men's 60m semi-finals (featuring Jeremiah Azu)
• 19:44: Men's 400m semi-finals
• 20:22: Men's 60m final

Image source, Getty Images

Here's what Keely Hodgkinson had to say after qualifying from her 800m heat: "I’m not the biggest fan of rounds. You never know what can happen, you are exposed to anything.

"So I just have to make sure I take each round as it comes and conserve energy.

"The last 100m I didn’t know who was behind me, so I pushed forwards to make sure I was in a good place.

"Overall, the race felt good."

Image source, Getty Images

The action began in Poland with the first morning session of the three-day championship earlier today.

Great Britain's defending men's 60m champion Jeremiah Azu safely progressed to tonight's semi-finals by winning his heat in 6.55 seconds, but Jody Smith did not progress.

Olympic champion and world-record holder Keely Hodgkinson also made light work of her first round, dominating from start to finish to win in 2:00.32, while Isabelle Boffey also qualified for Saturday's semi-finals after placing third in her heat (2:00.17).

World bronze medallist Ben Pattison advanced in the men's 800m (1:47.48), but Yemi Mary John (52.28) and Louisa Stoney (52.24) did not progress in the women's 400m.

BBC Two

You can follow coverage of tonight's action from the World Indoor Championships right now on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, and of course here on BBC Sport website and app.

Image source, Getty Images

Hello and welcome to our live text coverage of the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Kujawy Pomorze, Poland.

Great Britain have sent a strong squad featuring several global medallists such as Keely Hodgkinson, Josh Kerr, Georgia Hunter Bell, Amy Hunt, Dina Asher-Smith and Jeremiah Azu.

Over the next three evenings we will see how many medals they can bring home at the start of a year which features two international championships on home soil - with the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and European Championships in Birmingham this summer.

It's time to sit back and enjoy the action on night one.