We move on now to our first event on the track tonight.

It's the first semi-final of the men's 800m, featuring European leader Catalin Tecuceanu of Italy, and Elliot Giles, one of two British representatives in this event.

Image source, Getty Images

Away from the action in Rome, there has been a significant British sprint victory.

Louie Hinchliffe has become the first European to win the men's 100m at the NCAA Championships.

The 21-year-old, from Sheffield, ran 9.95 seconds in Eugene, Oregon, to claim the US collegiate title.

He is now the sixth quickest British sprinter and his time was the ninth fastest in the world this year and the best by a European.

Hinchliffe races for the University of Houston, where nine-time Olympic champion Carl Lewis is head coach.

"I've got to forget about this now and focus on the job at hand because the main job is the Olympics," said Hinchliffe.

"I need to shift my focus to the Olympic trials."

Here's Jade O'Dowda's final javelin effort...

No improvement on her second throw, which at 42.33m was her season best.

It moves her up to seventh in the overall rankings, going into the 800m in a couple of hours' time.

Auriana Lazraq-Khlass bows to the crowd after her final throw. The French heptathlete looks set to really capitalise on the withdrawal of Katarina Johnson-Thompson and potentially pick up a medal.

Noor Vidts sends her final effort of the javelin, 42.07m. Confirmation she will start the 800m in third overall, behind Lazraq-Khlass.

Alex Seftel
Athletics commentator on BBC iPlayer

O'Dowda is just looking for the best possible score.

It is quite an important measure of success these days to be in the top eight - selectors tend to factor that in.

Jade O'Dowda improves her distance slightly with her second throw, up to 42.33m.

The Brit would rise to seventh overall, as it stands.

It is worth highlighting French heptathlete Auriana Lazraq-Khlass, who has just thrown a personal best 48.23m in the javelin. She has hit a PB in five of the six events so far in Rome, and is right in contention for a medal.

Lazraq-Khlass, as it stands, would overtake Noor Vidts into second place, behind leader Nafi Thiam.

Italy enjoyed a strong start to the championships last night with Nadia Battocletti and Antonella Palmisano winning gold medals in the 5000m and race walk respectively.

Unfortunately there were very few people to see it, with the Olympic Stadium about 95% empty. Ticket sales have not been good.

Hopefully word of that success last night, plus a couple of major Italian gold hopes this evening - including Olympic champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs in the men's 100m - will attract a few more punters. It seems a bit busier and louder in the arena tonight.

Italy have plenty of opportunities to extend their lead in the medal table this evening. Leonardo Fabbri (shot put) and Mattia Furlani (long jump) are both European leaders in their disciplines this year and serious contenders for gold.

Jade O'Dowda's first throw in the javelin now.

It's 41.54m - fourth longest of the eight in this second heptathlon group. Solid start.

Noor Vidts of Belgium, ranked second overall in the heptathlon, is also in this group.

She throws 42.12 with her first effort - more than 10m shy of Nafi Thiam's best throw.

Thiam edging closer to another gold medal.

Competition in the heptathlon has just resumed, with the remaining group taking on the javelin.

Britain's Jade O'Dowda is in this group.

Britain's Callum Wilkinson comes home in 10th place.

A really good performance from the unheralded Wilkinson, who is outside the top 50 ranked race walkers in Europe, to crack the top 10 here.

Image source, Reuters

The first of nine gold medals tonight goes to Perseus Karlstrom, finishing in 1:19.13.

And he even does some press-ups in celebration! Remarkable.

Silver for Paul McGrath, and Italian Francesco Fortunato whoops in delight with the national flag around his shoulders as he seals bronze.

Tim Hutchings
Former middle and long-distance runner on BBC iPlayer

Karlstrom is battering away and not giving McGrath the slightest chink of daylight to come back at him with.

When someone is walking that aggressively, it is soul destroying.

Into the final kilometre now, and this race is done.

Perseus Karlstrom, who has shed the hat and sunglasses he was wearing at the start, enters the stadium for the final lap with an 11-second gap to Paul McGrath.

Spain's McGrath will win silver, while Francesco Fortunato has streaked away from the pack himself and will pick up a bronze for Italy.

Tim Hutchings
Former middle and long-distance runner on BBC iPlayer

Karlstrom has the bit between his teeth. He senses he might have a bit of a gap here on McGrath, and he has the Spaniard on the ropes.

He’s pushing hard and grimacing.

Image source, European Athletics

Spain's Paul McGrath, who has Irish grandparents, is in the hunt for a European medal in the 20km walk.

That's at least two notable sporting Paul McGraths then - and this one might have to settle for silver, as he has fallen four second behind leader Perseus Karlstrom with just over 2km remaining.

Swedish walker Karlstrom can be heard gasping and panting as the TV cameras zoom in, but he is so close to gold.

A total of four British athletes progressed through their qualifiers this morning, with Molly Caudery joined by Amy Hunt, Jake Norris and Mark Pearce in navigating the early stages of their events successfully.

Hunt, who trains in Italy and is making her senior European debut in Rome, earned her spot in the semi-finals of the women's 100m.

Drawn in lane three, she surged through the final 50m to clock 11.26 seconds, comfortably enough to advance to the semi-finals as the fifth quickest overall.

Norris and Pearce booked a spot in the finals of the men’s hammer and 3000m steeplechase respectively.

After throwing 75.73m on his second throw to qualify, Norris said: “I’m really confident because the effort I put into the throw didn’t feel particularly hard, or as though I was at my absolute peak and really going for it. It makes it exciting. My thing now is I want this feeling for the final and I think I’ll be golden.”

Pearce ran 8:34.46 to finish eighth overall in the men's steeplechase, enough to secure a shot at a medal. However Zak Seddon, after suffering a fall around the half-way mark, finished 10th and misses out.

400m runner Alex Haydock-Wilson also suffered early elimination after only being 15th fastest in qualifying.