Connor Bell (athlete)

Connor Bell
2018 Summer Youth Olympics
Personal information
Born (2001-06-21) 21 June 2001
Auckland, New Zealand
EducationWestlake Boys High School
Height192 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight104 kg (229 lb)
Sport
CountryNew Zealand
SportTrack and Field
Event
Discus throw
Achievements and titles
National finals
Discus champion (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2925, 2026)
Personal bestsDiscus throw – 69.51m (Ramona, 2025) NR
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  New Zealand
Oceania Championships
Gold medal – first place2022 MackayDiscus
Commonwealth Youth Games
Gold medal – first place2017 BahamasDiscus

Connor Bell (born 21 June 2001) is a New Zealand former field athlete who retired as the national record holder and multiple-time national champion in the discus throw. He represented his country at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and 2024 Olympic Games, and had top-ten finishes at the 2023 and 2025 World Athletics Championships.[1]

Biography

Bell won the gold medal in the discus throw at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas, finishing ahead of James Tomlinson of Wales.[2] On 25 January 2020, at the Potts Classic, Hawkes Bay Sports Park, in Hastings, Bell threw 63.25 m, ranking him 31st in the world for the year.[3] At the same venue, on 23 January 2021, Bell set a new personal best throw of 64.29 m. On 27 March 2021, Bell won the New Zealand national championship with a throw of 61.85. In 2022, Bell repeated his national title win and added a victory at the 2022 Oceania Athletics Championships in Mackay, Australia.[4]

Bell competed in the men's discus throw at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. He was the sixth-placed qualifier for the final,[5] where he finished eighth with a best throw of 60.23 metres.[6]

At the Pre-Potts track and field meeting in Hastings on 18 January 2023, Bell broke the New Zealand national discus throw record, with a distance of 66.14 metres, breaking the previous mark of 65.03 metres set by Ian Winchester in 2002.[7] At the Maurie Plant Meet - Melbourne on 22 February 2023, Bell bettered his own national record with 66.23 metres to win the event ahead of Australian Matthew Denny.[8] The following month, he threw 61.33 metres to win the New Zealand national title in Wellington.[9] In August, he represented New Zealand at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, qualifying for the final and placing tenth overall.[10]

Bell won the discus title at the 2024 New Zealand Athletics Championships in Wellington, throwing 57.83 metres.[11] He competed in the discus throw at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in August 2024.[12][13]

Bell won the discus title at the 2025 New Zealand Athletics Championships in Dunedin, throwing 60.73 metres.[14] He extended the New Zealand national record to 69.51 metres at the Oklahoma Throws Series in Ramona in April 2025.[15] In September 2025, he competed in the discus throw at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan, qualifying for the final and placing tenth overall.[16][17]

Bell won the discus title at the 2026 New Zealand Athletics Championships in Auckland, throwing 59.09 metres.[18] Later that year, Bell announced his retirement from the sport.[19]

References

  1. ↑ "Connor BELL". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  2. ↑ "FUTURES IN FOCUS: JAMES TOMLINSON". World Athletics. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  3. ↑ "Discus Throw – men – senior – outdoor – 2020". www.worldathletics.org. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  4. ↑ "Tokyo Olympics: Anxious wait for discus ace Connor Bell with Games spot in jeopardy". Stuff. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  5. ↑ "Men's discus throw qualifying round – results summary" (PDF). Birmingham 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  6. ↑ "Men's discus throw final – results" (PDF). Birmingham 2022. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  7. ↑ "Aucklander Connor Bell smashes 21-year-old New Zealand discus record". Stuff. 19 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  8. ↑ "Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne". World Athletics. 7 March 2026. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  9. ↑ "New Zealand Championships". World Athletics. 3 March 2026. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  10. ↑ "World Athletics Championships, Budapest 2023". World Athletics. 20 August 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  11. ↑ "New Zealand Track & Field Championships". World Athletics. 14 March 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  12. ↑ "Men's Discus Throw Results - Paris Olympic Games 2024 Athletics". Watch Athletics. 7 August 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  13. ↑ Kirkness, Luke (18 April 2024). "New Zealand announces strong athletics team for Paris 2024 Olympics featuring Hamish Kerr and George Beamish". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  14. ↑ "New Zealand Track & Field Championships". World Athletics. 6 March 2025. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  15. ↑ "Oklahoma Throws Series". World Athletics. 17 April 2025. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  16. ↑ "World Athletics Championships, Tokyo 2025". World Athletics. 18 September 2025. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
  17. ↑ "New Zealand team for 2025 World Athletics Championships confirmed". Athletics New Zealand. 5 September 2025. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  18. ↑ "New Zealand Track & Field Championships". World Athletics. 7 March 2026. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
  19. ↑ "Connor Bell retires from high performance discus". nzsportswire.com. 13 July 2026. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
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