Bermudian middle-distance specialist Nirobi Smith-Mills continued his early-season indoor campaign with a gritty performance at the Lee Valley Indoors Track and Field Championships in the United Kingdom.
Competing in a high-caliber field in the Men's 800m A Final, Smith-Mills showcased the tactical awareness and endurance that have marked him as one of the island's most promising rising stars on the global circuit.
The race was a significant step forward for Smith-Mills following his recent season opener at the BMC Sheffield Grand Prix, where he clocked 1:55.06 to finish seventh. In the tighter confines of the Lee Valley track, he displayed a much-improved turn of pace to cross the finish line in 1:51.81, securing a credible fourth-place finish.
The result marks a return to the consistent sub-1:52 form he displayed during the Junior Pan Am Games, where he clocked 1:51.82 in the Semi-Finals before finishing fifth in the final with a time of 1:50.00. While his latest clocking is still shy of his lifetime personal best of 1:47.67—set during a standout performance at the BMC Trafford Grand Prix—his progression through the early weeks of 2026 suggests he is building toward peak condition for the outdoor season.
With several major international championships on the horizon, Smith-Mills will likely look to use this result as a springboard for further improvements in the UK indoor circuit. His ability to compete at the sharp end of elite British fields remains a vital indicator of his potential to reach the podium on the world stage later this year.
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