British flyweight Nicola Adams is just one win away from earning the right to defend her Olympic title ©Getty Images

Olympic champions Nicola Adams and Katie Taylor are both just one win away from qualifying for Rio 2016 after reaching the semi-finals of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) European Olympic Qualification Event at the Mustafa Dağıstanlı Spor Salonu in Samsun in Turkey.

British flyweight Adams beat France’s Sarah Ourahmoune on points in the last eight, while lightweight Taylor proved too strong for Denmark’s Yvonne Rasmussen.

The two fighters will now box on Friday (April 15), knowing victory and a place in their respective finals will ensure their ticket to this summer's Olympic Games. 

Adams, who is bidding to become the first British boxer to retain an Olympic title in 92 years, faces Denmark’s Marielle Hansen in the last four.

She goes into the clash as a firm favourite having comfortably beaten her old rival in previous meetings at the 2010 World Championships and 2011 European Championships.

Lightweight Joe Cordina was among the British men to have booked semi-final places today thanks to a walkover win over Italy’s Domenico Valentino.

He will be joined by fellow Britons Joe Joyce, who outpointed Denmark's Kim Larsen in his super heavyweight quarter-final, and Josh Buatsi, a winner on points against Germany's Serge Michel in the light heavyweight division.

Irish lightweight Katie Taylor has reached the semi-finals
Irish lightweight Katie Taylor has reached the semi-finals ©Getty Images

Light welterweight Pat McCormack will have to wait for another chance to qualify after losing against Armenia's Hovhannes Bachkov on points.

Male boxers have two more opportunities to qualify; one at next month's World Series of Boxing event in Bulgaria and the other at the final Olympic qualifying event in Azerbaijan in June.

As many as 36 qualification spots for Rio 2016 are on the line in Samsun, where a total of 217 men and 57 women, representing 38 European countries, are competing.

There are 10 weight categories for men, ranging from light flyweight up to super heavyweight, with the two finalists from each division receiving a Rio 2016 quota spot and the two losing semi-finalists taking part in a box-off for the third and final qualification place.

The women are competing in three weight categories, flyweight, lightweight and middleweight, with the two finalists in each class winning a Rio 2016 quota.

Female fighters that fail to qualify for Rio 2016 at this event will have one more chance at next month's World Championships in Kazakhstan.