Briton Keely Hodgkinson asserted her authority in the Olympic 800 metres semifinals on Sunday, decisively winning her heat and setting up a battle for gold with Kenya’s Mary Moraa and Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma.
World number one Hodgkinson led the pack from the start with Prudence Sekgodiso on her shoulder, and pulled ahead with half a lap to go to finish in one minute 56.86 seconds, comfortably ahead of the South African who is making her Olympic debut.
Silver medallist in Tokyo, the 22-year-old Hodgkinson set a personal best two weeks ago in London with 1:54.61, the fastest time this year, making her the sixth-quickest of all time.
Hodgkinson was the only Briton to make it to the final.
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Her teammate Jemma Reekie was in second place for most of her heat but could not find the final kick she needed to keep up with Duguma and finished fifth. Duguma won in a personal best of 1:57.47.
World number two Moraa, who beat Hodgkinson to win gold at the world championships last year in Budapest, won her heat in 1:57.86.
The first two in each of three heats advanced automatically to the final on Monday at 9:47 p.m. local time (1947 GMT).
France’s Renelle Lamote was ecstatic after booking a place in the final as one of the two fastest losers, along with American Juliette Whittaker.
American Athing Mu, the reigning Olympic champion, is missing from the competition having failed to qualify for Paris after falling at the US Olympic Trials.
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