Hunter

Great Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell was beaten in the 1500m in Melbourne in her first race since she was crowned women’s world indoor champion.

The 32-year-old arrived at the Maurie Plant Meet in Australia less than a week after she stormed to her first global indoor title in Poland.

But she was unable to summon her trademark finishing burst as Australian Claudia Hollingsworth, 20, made her move 200m from the finish line and clocked a winning time of four minutes 1.30 seconds, 0.22secs ahead of Hunter Bell.

“It was amazing being in a race with this level of girls and beating Georgia,” said Hollingsworth, who set a record time for the meet.

Saturday’s outdoor event marked the first of 11 World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meetings, which is the level below the Diamond League.

Elsewhere, rising Australian sprinter Gout Gout, 18, finished second in the men’s 200m, 0.05secs behind international team-mate Lachlan Kennedy, 25, who won in a time of 20.38.

The Angels released utilityman Chris Taylor and right-handed pitcher Hunter Strickland from their minor league contracts on Saturday.

Taylor, 35, hit .186 with a .256 on-base percentage, two homers, 12 RBIs and two steals in a combined 58 games with the Dodgers and Angels last season.

He batted .248 with a .327 on-base percentage, 110 homers and 443 RBIs during a 12-year career. Taylor made the NL All-Star team while playing for the Dodgers in 2021.

Strickland, 37, went 1-2 with a 3.27 ERA and one save in 19 relief appearances for the Angels last season. He has a 26-25 record with a 3.39 ERA and 30 saves in 499 career major league appearances, all in relief.