Bolton Harrier Hannah Kelly impressed on her Olympics debut, helping Team GB reach tomorrow night’s final of the women’s 4x400m relay in Paris.

In this morning’s heats, the Bury-born 23-year-old ran the second leg in 50.52secs for Great Britain as the team, which also included Yemi Mary John, Jodie Williams and Lina Nielsen, recorded a season’s best time of 3mins 24.72secs.

They booked the second of three automatic places from a heat absolutely dominated by a season’s best from the American team, who finished more than three seconds ahead of the British quartet.

After the heats, Kelly told BBC Sport: “We always knew they [USA] were going to get off hard, but I just ran my race so hard and stuck to my gameplan to hand to Jodie in a good position and that’s what I did.”

Nielsen brought it home for GB and added: “The plan was for us to come second behind the USA as close as possible to get the girls through to the final.”

Kelly will hope she can keep her place in the quartet for tomorrow night’s final at around 8.20pm but knows if the team do get a spot on the podium, she would receive a medal regardless for playing her part in the heats.

Great Britain will also go for gold in the men’s 4x400 metres relay final on Saturday.

The GB team of Sam Reardon, Matthew Hudson-Smith, Toby Harries and Charlie Dobson were the second-fastest from the two heats today in a season’s-best 2:58.88.

Hudson-Smith, who claimed individual 400 metres silver for his first Olympic medal on Tuesday, said: “It’s been a hell of a two days, but I’ll find another gear for the final.

“Let’s get that medal.”