Nicola Adams and Katie Taylor one win away from Rio Olympics

Nicola Adams and Katie Taylor are both just one more win away from earning the right to defend their respective Olympic titles in Rio this summer.

Adams and Taylor recorded quarter-final wins in the European qualifying tournament in Samsun, Turkey, on Wednesday and will both now box on Friday knowing victory will get them to Brazil.

The two boxers who reach any of the finals in each of the women's categories will automatically be awarded places at the Rio Games, no matter who wins.

Adams is bidding to become the first British boxer to retain an Olympic title in 92 years,

The 33-year-old Adams saw off flyweight rival Sarah Ourahmoune of France to book a last-four meeting with old rival Marielle Hansen of Denmark.

Adams, who defeated Iulia Coroli of Moldova in the previous round on Monday, will start as a strong favourite having comfortably beaten Hansen in previous meetings in the World and European Championships in 2010 and 2011 respectively.

Meanwhile Ireland's Taylor proved too strong for another Dane, Yvonne Rasmussen, in their lightweight quarter-final.

British men Josh Buatsi, Joe Cordina, Joe Joyce, Galal Yafai, Muhammad Ali, Qais Ashfaq, Antony Fowler and Lawrence Okolie also booked semi-final places with victories on Wednesday.

Unlike the women, the men will get a second chance of qualification if they lose on Friday, with the winner of a third-place box-off also booking their place.

The men have two further chances to qualify - at the World Series of Boxing event in Bulgaria in May and through the final Olympic qualifying event in Azerbaijan in June.

The women only have one more chance - at the World Championships in Kazakhstan in May.

In Turkey, the men's and women's semi-finals will be held on Friday, with the finals and box-offs for third place spread over Saturday and Sunday.