Janet Bell (née Prictoe, born 15 January 1959) is an English former middle-distance runner who specialised in the 800 metres. She won the 1987 AAA Indoor Championships title and went on to finish fifth in the 800m finals at the 1987 World Indoor Championships and 1988 European Indoor Championships.
Early life Janet is the only daughter of Ione Tognini. She grew up in Lincoln, and attended Lincoln Girls' High School, a grammar school. Lincolnshire Echo Monday 15 July 1974, page 10Lincolnshire Echo Wednesday 19 July 1978
Career Prictoe finished third behind Christina Boxer in the 800 metres event at the 1977 WAAA Championships.
In 1978, Prictoe was second in the 800 metres at the UK Championships in 2:04.78, and second again behind Christina Boxer at the 1978 WAAA Championships in 2:03.11, just one-one hundredth of a second behind the winner. She went on to compete at the 1978 European Championships, where she was eliminated in the heats. She also finished second at the 1979 AAAs Championships behind Christine Benning.
Prictoe's third-place finish at the 1981 AAAs Indoor Championships behind Kirsty McDermott and Lorraine Baker would be her last medal at a national championships until she won the 1987 AAAs indoor title in 2:04.18, ahead of Baker.
Prictoe married athlete Alan bell in Barnsley during 1986 and competed under her married name thereafter.They have four children.
At the 1987 European Indoor Championships, Bell ran 2:03.24 in her heat to qualify for the final as a fastest loser, where she finished seventh in 2:05.92. A month later at the 1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Indianapolis, she ran 2:03.45 to finish second in her heat and improved to 2:02.96 for fifth in the final. Outdoors, she finished third at the UK Championships behind Diane Edwards and Shireen Bailey in 2:02.41, before achieving her lifetime best with 2:01.40 on 11 July at the Crystal Palace in London.
In 1988, Bell finished second at the AAAs Indoor Championships behind Dawn Gandy in 2:06.01, before again reaching the final of the 800m at the European Indoor Championships, finishing fifth in an indoor best of 2:02.70, which at the time ranked her fourth on the British all-time indoor list behind Jane Colebrook, Liz Barnes and Kirsty Wade. She went on to run 2:03.77 to finish fourth at the 1988 UK Championships in June, behind Christina Cahill, Wade and Gandy. At the 1988 AAA Championships/Olympic trials in August 1988, she finished fourth behind Wade, Shireen Bailey and Helen Thorpe.
Competition record Representing 1978European ChampionshipsPrague, Czechoslovakia17th (h)800 m2:03.71987European Indoor ChampionshipsLievin, France7th800 m2:05.92World Indoor ChampionshipsIndianapolis, United States5th800 m2:02.961988European Indoor ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary5th800 m2:02.70National Championships1977AAA ChampionshipsLondon, England3rd800 m2:04.881978UK ChampionshipsEdinburgh, Scotland2nd800 m2:04.78AAA ChampionshipsLondon, England2nd800 m2:03.111979AAA ChampionshipsLondon, England2nd800 m2:01.661981AAA Indoor ChampionshipsRAF Cosford, England3rd800 m2:11.51986UK ChampionshipsCwmbran, Wales9th (h)800 m2:06.79AAA ChampionshipsBirmingham, England11th (h)800 m2:07.821987AAA Indoor ChampionshipsRAF Cosford, England1st800 m2:04.18UK ChampionshipsDerby, England3rd800 m2:02.411988AAA Indoor ChampionshipsRAF Cosford, England2nd800 m2:06.01UK ChampionshipsDerby, England4th800 m2:03.77AAA ChampionshipsBirmingham, England4th800 m2:??.?? (h) Indicates overall position in qualifying heats
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