You could be forgiven for taking on water in the searing Rome heat.

But there was an unexpected splash earlier for French runner Flavie Renouard, who fell during the women's 3000m steeplechase heats.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

European 400m record holder Matthew Hudson-Smith and sprinters Zharnel Hughes, Imani-Lara Lansiquot and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake have withdrawn from the British team for the European Athletics Championships.

Hudson-Smith improved his own mark in his season opener in Oslo last week but the 29-year-old has opted to skip the Europeans and instead focus on training before the Olympics in Paris.

World bronze medallist Hughes was seen limping after his 100m race in Jamaica on Saturday, although no details of any injury have been confirmed by British Athletics.

Lansiquot's absence and Daryll Neita's decision to focus on the 200m and the 4x100m relay means Amy Hunt will now contest the women's 100m as well as the relay while Aleeya Sibbons will join the relay squad.

1500m world champion Josh Kerr and reigning 1500m European champion Laura Muir are among those who have also announced they will not compete.

There are British medal opportunities in the men's discus final after Lawrence Okoye came through the heats successfully this morning, as well as in the mixed 4x400m relay.

The final event tonight is the women's 5000m, in which Izzy Fry, Amy-Eloise Neale and Hannah Nuttall will all be representing Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

We will also be keeping an eye on the heptathlon, where Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Jade O'Dowda are the British contenders.

CJ Ujah will begin his bid for a men's 100m medal in the first round of the heats, while Scott Lincoln and Morgan Lake start their campaigns in the men's shot put and women's high jump respectively.

Dame Kelly Holmes is a British sporting legend with a sensational career, capped by winning Olympic gold in the 800m and 1,500m in 2004.

In this episode of BBC 5 Live's All About podcast, she discusses her career - and explains how portable toilets and ice creams featured during the Athens Games.

She also opens up about living in fear for years that her sexuality would be revealed, and how inspiring just one other person by coming out would eclipse all her sporting success.

It's a great listen, and you can tune in above.

Image source, Getty Images

Some more news from this morning.

It was good news in the women's 1500m for Irish athletes, as Ciara Mageean comfortably qualified for the final.

The Portaferry runner finished third in her heat in 4:06.81, behind Jemma Reekie and Italy's Ludovica Cavalli.

Mageean is one of the favourites to take gold in Sunday evening's final, the 32-year-old having finished second behind Great Britain's Laura Muir at the 2022 European Championships in Munich.

"I wanted to stay out of trouble", said Mageean. "I saw when I was walking through that one of the girls fell in the second heat - that's your biggest risk, that you'll get caught up in something."

Dubliner Sarah Healy also secured her place in the 1500m final, clocking 4:12.30 in the second heat.

Meanwhile, we are halfway through the first medal events of these championships - the women's 20km race walk.

With 10km to go, we could be looking at a gold for the host nation. Antonella Palmisano of Italy leads the way.

Here's how the heptathlon looks before the 200m - the fourth of seven events - which takes place from 20:45.

Great viewing if you are Belgian, not so much for Johnson-Thompson fans.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson is down to ninth in the overall heptathlon standings. Jade O'Dowda, in fifth, is the leading Brit.

Nafi Thiam and Noor Vidts continue to lead the way in Belgian one-two.

We'll have the standings for you shortly.

1. Auriana Lazraq-Khlass (France) 15.27 metres

2. Nafissatou Thiam (Belgium) 15.06m

3. Noor Vidts (Belgium) 14.79m

4. Paulina Ligarska (Poland) 14.51m

5. Xenia Krizsan (Hungary) 14.03m

British results

14. Jade O'Dowda 12.82m

17. Katarina Johnson-Thompson 12.44m

Alex Seftel
Athletics commentator on BBC iPlayer

You back Katarina Johnson-Thompson to improve. We have seen a lot of the athletes do that in the last few moments.

Image source, Getty Images

KJT's final shot put effort is up next...

It's short of her second throw, just 12.14m.

The upside for Johnson-Thompson is that the next event is the 200m, which is usually one of her strongest.

It is a bit dispriting to see quite so many empty seats at the Olympic Stadium. The stands are 90% empty, and that's a generous estimate.

The opening ceremony, held just outside the arena, was equally poorly attended. Around 30 people on folding chairs watching some speeches and interpretive dance.

Still, they played the Italian national anthem which is always a banger.

A terrific final effort by Britain's Jade O'Dowda in the shot put, she goes to 12.82m - her best effort of the three.

O'Dowda, for now, is in the overall heptathlon top five.

Image source, Reuters

We currently have a Belgian one-two in the live heptathlon standings.

Noor Vidts threw a personal best 14.79m in the shot put, to move into second behind compatriot Nafi Thiam.

Alex Seftel
Athletics commentator on BBC iPlayer

Long way still to go in the women's heptathlon. Katarina Johnson-Thompson is losing more than 200 points to Noor Vidts in the shot put at this point.

But, it's better from Johnson-Thompson who still looks disappointed. Her second throw is over 12 metres.

Image source, Getty Images

Now, here's Katarina Johnson-Thompson's second go...

Slightly better, over 12 metres. She still doesn't look too impressed by her own efforts.

It's 12.44m, which is good enough to lift KJT back into the live top 10 with one throw remaining for her.

Nafi Thiam has taken her final throw - it's the shortest of the three, 14.26m.

However the Belgian still remains top of the overall standings in the heptathlon.

It's tricky conditions in Rome currently. Even in the early evening, the thermometer is topping 30 degrees celsius.

Can Johnson-Thompson continue to keep the heat on Thiam? We await the Brit's second shot put effort...

The other British heptathlete, Jade O'Dowda, threw a respectable 12.44m with her first shot put effort.

Her second throw is shorter, 12.11m, and she has dropped to eighth in the live standings.

The heptathlon continues, in front of an approximate crowd of 10 people and a dog in Rome's Olympic Stadium. Not a strong turnout by the public in the Italian capital so far.