Holmes stays in the running

Kelly Holmes remains on course for an historic Olympic double here after easing into the semi-finals of the 1500metres last night.

Holmes, who won the 800m on Monday, was today enjoying a rest day after the dramatic events of the last 48 hours. In another show of accomplished tactical running, she finished second in her heat of the 1500m last night with a time of 4mins 5.58secs to qualify easily for the next round tomorrow.

She said: "I had not had a lot of sleep and I came out needing to qualify as comfortably as possible. Now I can have a rest for a day and take my mind away from everything."

Abi Oyepitan, meanwhile, is determined not to crack under pressure when she makes a special piece of British sprinting history in tonight's Olympic women's 200m final.

Competing at her first Olympics, the 24-year-old is the first British women to contest a final over the distance since Kathy Cook came fourth at the 1984 Games.

The final, the climax of tonight's action at the Olympic Stadium, will be by far the biggest race of the London athlete's career. She has produced the best running of her life on the way to the final and said: "I cannot imagine what it is going to be like because I have never been there.