Montsho, Odumosu, Abugan into semi-finals

Five African women have made it into the last 16 of the women's 400m at the Beijing Olympics. Botwana's Amantle Montsho, Nigeria's Folashade Abugan and Ajoke Odumosu, Zambia's Rachael Nachula and Sudan's Nawar ElJack all progress into Sunday's semis.

African 400m champion, Amantle Montsho of Botswana cruised the last 50m to hold onto second spot in Heat 2 with a time of 50.91secs.

Nigeria's Ajoke Odumosu, the African 400m Hurdles champion, claimed the third automatic spot in Heat 1 after a storming 300m run behind Jamaican Rosemarie White and Christine Amertil of Bahamas.

2008 World Junior champion Folashade Abugan also settled for third spot in Heat5 behind race favourite Sanya Richards of USA who won in 50.54secs and Aliann Pompey of Guyana (50.99 secs).

Zambian Nachula and Sudan's El Jack both progress after claiming third spot in their heats.

Women's 400m qualifiers heat 1:

1 Rosemarie Whyte (Jam) 51.00 secs

2 Christine Amertil (Bah) 51.25

3 Ajoke Odumosu (Nga) 51.39

4 Deedee Trotter (US) 51.41

Women's 400m qualifiers heat 2:

1 Libania Grenot Martinez (Ita) 50.87

2 Amantle Montsho (Bot) 50.91

3 Carline Muir (Can) 51.55

4 Indira Terrero (Cub) 51.56

Women's 400m qualifiers heat 3:

1 Anastasia Kapachinskaya (Rus) 51.32

2 Mary Wineberg (US) 51.46

3 Lee McConnell (GB) 51.87

Women's 400m qualifiers heat 4:

1 Christine Ohuruogu (GB) 51.00

2 Yulia Gushchina (Rus) 51.18

3 Gabriela Medina (Mex) 51.96

Women's 400m qualifiers heat 5:

1 Sanya Richards (US) 50.54

2 Aliann Pompey (Guy) 50.99

3 Folashade Abugan (Nga) 51.45

Women's 400m qualifiers heat 6:

1 Novlene Williams (Jam) 51.52

2 Nicola Sanders (GB) 51.81

3 Nawal Eljack (Sud) 52.77

Women's 400m qualifiers heat 7:

1 Shericka Williams (Jam) 50.57

2 Tatiana Firova (Rus) 50.59

3 Racheal Nachula (Zam) 51.62

4 Joy Amechi Eze (Nga) 51.97