Southampton's Oli Bromby strode confidently into the European Under 20 Athletics Championships 100 metres final in Grosseto, Italy last night.

After a steady first round heat in the morning, Southampton AC's Bromby knew that he needed to make a statement in the semi-final to guarantee a centre lane in the final.

The pressure was on after GB team mates Rechmial Miller (recurrence of a calf injury) and Dom Ashwell (with an uncharacteristically poor start) had been eliminated in the first two semis.

Unfazed, the Shirley-based sprinter led from the start to canter through the finish line in a controlled 10.54 seconds from the fast closing Finn Samuel Purola.

In the final today, Bromby is drawn in the adjacent lane to the clear favourite, home town boy Fillipo Tortu.

A medal is a realistic prospect, but with tightly packed quality opposition, a place in the top half dozen European speedsters would be a good result.

European Athletics will be streaming the final at 16:30 BST.