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British gold medal favourite Keely Hodgkinson cruised through to Monday’s women’s Olympic 800m final after finishing fastest of all the semi-finalists at Stade de France.
The Tokyo 2020 silver medallist laid down one minute 56.86 seconds in the last of the three semis, quicker than a personal best for Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma who was second of the overall 24-woman field in 1:57.47.
Hodgkinson had not ruled out all three British women making the final, but it was not meant to be for Jemma Reekie, the Tokyo 2020 fourth-place finisher who was fifth in semi final two and eighth overall in 1:58.01.
Phoebe Gill, the 17-year-old Olympic debutant, was 13th-fastest of the field in 1:58.47.
Great Britain will have two men in the men’s 1500m final after Josh Kerr and Neil Gourley both made it through from Sunday’s semis.
Kerr, the reigning world champion, was up against his Norwegian arch-nemesis and defending Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen in a first heat set to ominous, percussive music worthy of a Star Wars soundtrack.
The pair seemed to exchange a glance as the crossed the finish, Ingebrigtsen first in 3:32.38 then Kerr in in 3:32.46 as they closed the curtain on the dress rehearsal for their final showdown, one of the most hotly-anticipated finals of these Games.
Kerr’s fellow Scotsman Gourley was the third man to finish in the second group, the quicker of the semis, to claim the last place available in 3:32.11.
Matthew Hudson-Smith booked his place in the Olympic men’s 400m semi-final after winning the first heat at Stade de France.
The Wolverhampton runner was the fastest finisher in 44.78 seconds, ahead of the United States’ Christopher Bailey who also booked a spot in 44.89 alongside Norway’s Havard Bentdal Ingvaldsen.
Hudson-Smith, who was forced to miss the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after a series of injuries and setbacks, has courageously come back from a mental health crisis.
He said: “It was an easy run, I was just going for the win and trying to make it as easy as possible and get ready for the semi-finals.
“I just wanted to execute my race plan as comfortably as possible.
“Preparation has been really good, so now I just go for the win.”
The former Wolves academy product, at one point American world sprint champion Noah Lyles’ housemate for a year, picked himself up from rock bottom and revealed the depths of his struggles after collecting world bronze in 2022.
A year later he upgraded to world silver, and at the London Diamond League meeting two weeks ago ran a world-leading 43.74, lowering his own European record to send an emphatic statement to his Olympic challengers.
There was major news ahead of the fourth heat, when it was announced that Bahamian defending Olympic champion Steven had dropped out of the heats.
Great Britain’s Charlie Dobson also made it through as top man in the sixth and final heat, battling through the final stretch to see off the rest of the field in 44.96.
Dobson, who was up against Gilles Biron, running in lane four for hosts France, said: “Really pleased to get started, we’ve been here maybe two weeks now and it’s felt like a long wait.
“That felt comfortable and the atmosphere was amazing, particularly when you have a French guy in your race!”
Hudson-Smith and Dobson will look to book their place in the final during Tuesday evening’s semis.
