The Briton, 25, produced a season's best 13.34 seconds in the 100m hurdles followed by 1.91m in the high jump.

She has 2,193 points, followed by Belgium's Thiam (2,142) and Czech athlete Katerina Cachova (2,122).

The heptathletes will compete in the shot put and 200m later on Thursday.

Shara Proctor, Lorraine Ugen and Jazmin Sawyers qualified for the women's long jump final - the first time Britain has had three female long jumpers in a European Championships final for 49 years.

Ugen, whose has the longest jump in the world this year at 7.05m, leaped 6.70m - the fourth best jump overall in qualification.

Meanwhile, Elliot Giles, Guy Learmonth and Daniel Rowden all reached the men's 800m semi-finals.

Rowden, 20, finished third in his heat behind Polish European champion Adam Kszczot. The Essex-born runner said: "I believe that no-one is too good to be beaten. I may not have the experience of some of these guys but in the 800m anything can happen, you've just got to position yourself well."

Plymouth athlete David King clocked 13.65 seconds to finish second in his 110m hurdles heat and qualify for the semi-finals, while Jade Lally's throw of 57.71m was enough for a place in the women's discus final.

Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake and Adam Gemili compete for Great Britain in the men's 200m final (20:05 BST) later on Thursday.