Abi sprints into final

Sprinter Abi Oyepitan demonstrated her enormous potential by qualifying for the final of the 200m on her Olympic debut.

The 24-year-old Londoner finished second in the first semi-final in a time of 22.56secs, just six hundredths of a second outside the personal best she set in the first round.

"It's indescribable, I can't believe it," said Oyepitan.

"There is nothing like it. I didn't work in the first 100m and I think there is a lot more to come."

She is the first British woman to reach the Olympic 200m final since Kathy Cook in 1984, and added: "Someone told me that earlier and it's fantastic.

"I'm in an Olympic final, what can I say? I slept really well, had a nice bath and hopefully it will be the same tomorrow.

"I probably won't sleep at all though because it's the Olympic final, but I don't care."

Chris Rawlinson meanwhile had qualified for the semi-finals of the 400 metres hurdles by finishing third in his heat in a time of 48.94.

"My aim was to qualify first but I made a bit of an error off the eighth hurdle," said the 32-year-old from Rotherham. "I looked across with 20m to go and could not see anybody but then they just came through and it was too late to react.

"It was a bit of an error but I don't mind if I get drawn in lane one in the semi-finals, I won the Europa Cup from there. I'm feeling good and I'm used to the temperature.

"I haven't raced for a few weeks so it was a case of blowing away the cobwebs. This is a really strong event. In 2000 only one guy ran under 49 seconds in the heats but there are a lot more doing it now."

Favourite Felix Sanchez, who has not lost over the distance for more than three years, won his heat to ease into the semi-finals and Rawlinson added:

"Felix is an incredible athlete but he is going to have to run a brilliant race to win here."

Londoner Matt Douglas was unable to join Rawlinson in the semi-finals after finishing sixth in his heat, but was simply glad to have raced at all after tearing his calf muscle earlier this month.