Great Britain added more medals to their tally as the men’s and women’s 4×400 metres relay teams collected bronze at the Stade de France.
The United States took gold in the men’s relay, narrowly beating Botswana’s silver medallists to the line in Olympic record time.
Alex Haydock-Wilson led off for GB, and though individual men’s 400 metres silver medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith found himself locked into a battle for second, Britain remained third after his second lap.
The leaders extended their advantage, and by the time Lewis Davey handed off to Charlie Dobson and he rounded the final bend, there was considerable distance both in front of and behind the British anchor.
It quickly became clear that no-one was going to catch a dominant US team featuring Paris 200 metres individual gold medallist Gabby Thomas and hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who lowered her own world record earlier this week.
It instead became a dogged battle for silver and bronze after Anning pulled Great Britain into second on the back straight but, as she approached the finish, found herself in a neck-and-neck battle with the Netherlands and Ireland.
The United States took gold in 3:15.27, the Dutch claimed silver, and Anning held firm to claim bronze in 3:19.72.
Jamaica had also been in the mix, but ruled themselves out of contention in the second leg when Andrenette Knight lost the baton after bumping into Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke.
Bell patiently executed her race and started to pounce on the back stretch in the final lap.
Laura Muir, the Scottish Tokyo 2020 silver medallist, started to close in as the leaders approached the final bend as the two British women sat fourth and fifth.
Bell told the BBC: “I am in a very good mood! I don’t know if I have ever been this happy. That was an absolutely crazy race.
“I thought I am not not the fastest person in that race, but I thought if I was brave and just got stuck in then I could make something special happen. I am over the moon. An Olympic medallist.
“I knew it was going to be painful, and I know I can finish strong, so I knew as long as I didn’t let a gap go and I was there with 100 metres to go, I thought I would be able to do it. I had to dig deep in the middle. I didn’t realise how fast it was until I crossed the line.”
