Keely Hodgkinson and expected golden medal rivals Audrey Werro and Femke Broeders-Bol stay connected people for their highly anticipated showdown aft safely reaching Thursday's women's 800m semi-finals astatine the European Athletics Championships.
Olympic champion Hodgkinson, victor of the past 2 European titles, controlled her vigor passim to triumph successful 1 infinitesimal 57.28 seconds - the fastest clip crossed the 4 heats connected Tuesday morning.
Swiss jock Werro, who stunned Hodgkinson by moving the fastest clip for 43 years to bushed the Briton earlier this season, appeared arsenic comfy arsenic she won her contention successful 1:57.83.
There were nary issues either for Femke Broeders-Bol. The fast-improving Dutch two-time satellite 400m hurdles champion, who chose to power events this season, crossed the enactment archetypal successful 1:59.96.
Hodgkinson's post-race interrogation with BBC Sport was concisely interrupted by Italy's Eloisa Coiro, who said the 24-year-old was "an inspiration connected and disconnected the track".
Hodgkinson, who has had a mates of setbacks during her outdoor campaign, said: "I person worked truthful hard and the signifier has been determination each year. It's conscionable been an unfortunate mates of events that person led to maine possibly being a small spot off.
"Championships are a caller start. That felt precise good, precise comfortable. The modular has gone up but it's good, it brings retired the champion successful me.
"All it takes is 1 idiosyncratic to rise the barroom and you deliberation much things are possible. Everyone knows that to support up you person to support getting better. It's a truly breathtaking clip for the women's 800m."
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