Modern pentathlon: GB's Jamie Cooke reaches European final

Jamie Cooke is after a top-eight finish in the European Championship at Bath to secure Olympic qualification

British pentathlete Jamie Cooke proved his Rio Olympic credentials by easing into Saturday's European Championship final at the University of Bath.

Cooke finished third in qualification, and a top-eight finish in the final will secure his place in Brazil.

Team-mates Tom Toolis (10th) and Joe Choong (22nd) will also bid for GB's maximum allocation of two Olympic places at the weekend.

However, London Olympian Nick Woodbridge (53rd) missed out.

Cooke - a World Cup winner in February - was one of three men to make the Olympic qualifying standard a year before London 2012, but was overlooked in favour of Woodbridge and Sam Weale.

After recording the quickest 200m freestyle time in his favoured event, and impressing in his weaker fencing discipline, the 24-year-old is determined not to miss out on another Games.

"It would be amazing to get that place, but it wouldn't take the pressure off," Cooke told BBC Sport.

"We have such a strong squad that anything could happen next year, so I'll have to keep fighting all of next year as well."

Toolis secured his place in the final with an impressive run-shoot combined phase.

"It will be really different in the final and everyone will up the intensity but I'm looking forward to it and the crowd backing me up," said Toolis.

On Friday, Olympic silver medallist Samantha Murray will bid to reach the women's individual final safe in the knowledge she has already achieved the Olympic standard.

Murray's fifth place at this year's World Championships secured her a named place at the Rio Games.

However, team-mates Frejya Prentice, Kate French and Francesca Summers could yet deny her that place if they are able to achieve top-eight finishes in Sunday's final.