Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson and Georgia Hunter Bell will meet in the women’s 800m final on Sunday after the two training partners continued their seamless progress through the rounds.

After Olympic 800m champion Hodgkinson and Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Hunter Bell both won their heats on Thursday, they safely finished inside the top two automatic qualification places in their respective semi-finals.

Hodgkinson won her heat in one minute 57.53 seconds, while Hunter Bell crossed the line behind Kenya’s defending champion Mary Moraa.

They will attempt to become the first British athletes to secure a one-two at a global championships since Christine Ohuruogu and Nicola Sanders in the women’s 400m in the Japanese city of Osaka, 18 years ago.

Hodgkinson is the favourite, having ended her wait for a first global title last summer and returned from a 12-month injury-enforced absence to clock the fastest time in the world this year.

“I’m happy to be in my fifth world finals in a row. I’m really happy to do that and be in contention for another medal,” Hodgkinson said.

“This would mean more to me than last year, just the journey here makes it that much sweeter.

“It’s so difficult to get here anyway, and then to come here and perform, especially off the year that I’ve had – I’m just grateful to be running and want to put together a performance I’m proud of. I want to be able to say I left it all out there.”

George Mills progressed safely to the final of the men’s 5,000m on Sunday by finishing fourth in his heat.