European Championships Munich 2022: Britain's Jake Wightman sails into 800m semis

Wightman led home a fast heat that supplied seven athletes to the 800m semi-finals

Britain's 1500m world champion Jake Wightman qualified fastest for the European 800m semi-finals with a commanding run in Munich.

Wightman clocked a season's best one minute 45.94 seconds as seven athletes progressed from his swift heat.

Fellow Briton Keely Hodgkinson, one of the favourites for the women's 800m title, also advanced with ease.

However, Jessie Knight and Lina Nielsen both fell short of Friday's 400m hurdles final.

Knight finished fourth in her semi-final in 55.39 seconds, 0.41 off the final 'fastest loser' spot.

Nielsen, who revealed earlier this month that she has multiple sclerosis, could manage only 57.29, well off the 54.73 personal best she set back in June.

The Netherlands' Femke Bol, who secured the 400m flat title on Thursday night, sent out an ominous statement of intent in her specialist event, running 53.73 - half a second faster than anyone else.

Wightman was joined in the semi-finals by the rest of a strong British contingent with Commonwealth bronze medallist Ben Pattison and Daniel Rowden both qualifying.

"I haven't run an 800m since May so I was nervous if I had done enough work for it," Wightman told BBC Sport.

"There is not as much problem-solving as in the 1500m. I just wanted to make sure I was in contention with 200m to go and, if I needed to push on, I would."

Jemma Reekie and Alex Bell both made straightforward progress in the 800m alongside team-mate Keely Hodgkinson, who admitted she was feeling fatigued as she chases European gold after World and Commonwealth silver earlier this summer.

Hodgkinson is attempting to land a first senior gold after Olympic, world and Commonwealth silver medals

"It's definitely a bit tougher [at a third championships] but that felt comfortable today," Hodkinson said.

"I'm just trying to conserve energy and get through these rounds as easily as I can. Fingers crossed tomorrow [Friday] goes OK and then we can go again in the final."

Jodie Williams, who has specialised in the 400m with success in the past two seasons, excelled as she stepped back to the 200m, where she won silver eight years ago.

The 28-year-old was quickest into the semi-finals with a time of 22.92 seconds. However, team-mate Beth Dobbin was disqualified after a false start.

Hopes of a British medal in the heptathlon have faded with Jade O'Dowda unable to make significant inroads into the leaders after starting the day 11th overall.

O'Dowda managed 41.21m in the javelin, down on the personal best 45.90m she threw in May, to lie ninth before the competition-closing 800m on Thursday evening.

O'Dowda's points tally of 5,252 is well off third-placed Pole Adrianna Sulek (5,560) and Belgium's runaway leader and defending champion Nafi Thiam (5,776). O'Dowda's team-mate Holly Mills has been forced out of the competition by a foot injury.