Genevieve LaCaze has stayed calm when it mattered most, defying an injury-ravaged buildup to power into the women's 3000m steeplechase final at the world athletics championships in London.
LaCaze had enjoyed the best year of her career in 2016, setting a host of personal bests across a variety of distances and recording top-12 finishes in the steeplechase and the 5000m at the Rio Olympics.
But injuries to both feet had limited her to just one previous race this year heading into the world titles.
"The worlds was not even a possibility two months ago - I thought I was going home," said LaCaze, after finishing third in her heat in 9min 27.53sec to qualify in seventh spot overall for the steeplechase final on Friday (early Saturday AEST).
"I was thinking out there 'these girls haven't done what I have done, they haven't been what I have been through'.
"I am so relieved. I am pain-free."
LaCaze readily admitted that keeping her cool when the heat was really on was a big breakthrough.
"I am the irrational, emotional crazy woman when it comes to racing and (her long-time partner and Australian 1500m star Ryan Gregson) is my counterbalance and today I think for the fist time I was so calm all day," she said.
"I felt confident. I didn't look at the clock, I didn't worry about the girls around me."
Fellow distance runner Patrick Tiernan and long jumper Brooke Stratton also qualified for finals as the Australian team enjoyed its best session of the championships.
Tiernan had a horror outing on day one in London when he finished a distant last in the 10,000m final, but bounced back strongly on Wednesday to book a spot in the 5000m decider.
The 22-year-old was taking no chances in the opening round of the shorter event, going to the front with three and half laps to go before finishing fourth in 13:22.52 in the quickest of the two heats.
"My confidence wasn't very high," Tiernan said.
"... that's something for after the championships and the end of the season, to look at what happened.
"At the end of the day you get out there and realise you don't want to leave, you want to come back and compete at the top level."
Two months ago, Rio Olympics long jump finalist Stratton was pretty sure a groin injury was going to prevent her from competing in London.
But she recovered in the nick of time and then hung tough in difficult cold and wet conditions on Wednesday night to book a spot in the final with a best jump of 6.46m, good enough for 11th place overall.
The Australian squad is still without a medal after six days of action.
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