KEELY Hodgkinson is through to tomorrow's 800m final at the European Athletics Championships in Munich.

The Leigh ace was first home in her semi-final this morning, achieving automatic qualification.

Her time was nearly three seconds faster than in yesterday's heat but there should be more in the tank for when she needs it most in tomorrow night's final.

After sitting comfortably behind Poland's Anna Wielgosz, she hit the front at the 500m mark to clock 2mins 00.67secs, finishing ahead of Wielgosz and Ireland's Louise Shanahan, who have also qualified from the first of the two semi-finals.

Hodgkinson, a former Fred Longworth High School student, is ranked number one in Europe.

She  finished first from lane eight in the second of four heats on Thursday to qualify for the semi-finals.

Although hers was the slowest heat and 20 runners recorded a faster race over the four heats, times did not matter for those finishing in the first three as qualification was again automatic.

The Atherton-born 20-year-old, silver medallist in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the World Championships this year, led her heat from start to finish.