There were no hiccups and precious little challenge to Mozambique's Maria Mutola in the semi-finals of the women's 800m, which saw five women under two minutes.

The World and Olympic champion eased her way through to Tuesday's final with the fastest time of the round (1:58.45) closely followed by her training partner, Britain's Kelly Holmes, who took the second automatic qualifying spot in 1:58.86.
 
Mutola shadowed early race-leader Natalya Yevdokimova of Russia, until 600m, when Holmes burst to the front pulling Mutola clear into the home straight. Mutola eased ahead in the final 30 metres and Holmes was rewarded with a season's best. Diane Cummins of Canada won the race for a fastest losers spot, running 1:58.58, followed by Akosua Serwaa, who set a Ghanaian national record of 2:00.42 to qualify for the final as a fastest loser.
 
Mutola and Holmes were the only two inside 1:59, but perennial silver medallist Stephanie Graf (AUT) also broke two minutes, to win her semi in 1:59.26. Australia's Tamsyn Lewis led the race for 500m until Graf took over. The Russian Natalya Khruschelyova followed and these two pulled away from the field around the final bend. Graf led the Russian home and Britain's Jo Fenn fought her way through on the inside for third, crossing the line in a season?s best time of 2:00.56, with Surinam,s Laetitia Vriesde fourth in her best of the year, 2:00.88, neither quick enough for the final, however.
 
The final semi saw the Moroccan sisters, Amina and Seltana Ait Hammou, pitched together. They were close coming into the final straight, chasing Mozambique's Tina Paulino. Amina, the elder and quicker of the two, pulled away, with her sister giving chase. Paulino was fading, and it looked like both Moroccans would make it through.
 
As Amino headed for the line she turned her head, hoping to see her younger sister behind her, but Germany's Claudia GESELL had squeezed past Paulino on the inside to take second. Ait Hamou the elder's winning time was 2:00.57, with Gesell getting the last spot in the final, with 2:01.01.

World and Olympic Champion Maria Mutola of Mozambique cruised through the first round of the women's 800m, clocking 2:00.81, the fastest of the round. She moved smoothly to the front of heat two with 300 m to go, but then stumbled as her heels were clipped from behind.

Mutola shot an accusing glance behind her but recovered quickly to lead a tight pack of eight through the final 200 metres, Claudia Gessell (GER) and Lucia Klocova following her across the line for the other two automatic qualifying positions. Six women finished inside 2:02.00 in that heat, 16 in the round as a whole.

Austria's Stephanie Graf, Olympic and World silver medallist behind Mutola, also qualified easily. Graf turned on the power in the home straight, to come home in 2:03.99. Other fast qualifiers were Russia's Natalya Yevdokimova (2:01.05 in heat one) and Mutola's fellow Mozambican, her cousin Tina Paulino, who won heat five in a season's best 2:01.06.

The only significant name to miss out was USA's veteran 36 year-old Jearl Miles-Clark, who was run out of the qualifying positions in heat three, won by Russia's Natalya Khruschelyova in 2:03.74, with Britain's Kelly Holmes also safely through in 2:03.75.

Note too the Moroccan sisters Amina and Seltana Ait Hammo, both of whom qualified automatically.