Rejuvenated by a move to master coach Dan Pfaff, Australian long jumper Fabrice Lapierre is primed to wind back the clock at the upcoming world athletics championships in Beijing.
Lapierre, the 2010 world indoor and Commonwealth gold medallist, was the only men's long jumper named in the 42-strong Australian squad on Monday.
With Athletics Australia committed to accepting every vacancy that crops up under the IAAF's new roll-down policy, former world junior champion Robbie Crowther could still join Lapierre at the August 22-30 world titles at the iconic Bird's Nest Stadium.
But London Olympics silver medallist Mitchell Watt is a definite no-show after deciding not to make a last-ditch effort to qualify.
"Mitch could over have jumped on the weekend but decided not to risk anything this year and instead come back strong next year for the Rio Olympics," Lapierre told AAP.
Lapierre has bloomed this year under Pfaff's tutelage in Arizona as part of a training group which also includes Watt, London Olympic long jump champ Greg Rutherford and Christabel Nettey from Canada, who sits in second spot on the women's rankings.
"After last year I really wanted to find a training base where I could excel and be the best I could be with the remaining years I had in the sport," said the 31-year-old Lapierre, who has battled hamstring and quad injuries in recent years.
"There was no better place than to be with the best in the world and that's Dan Pfaff.
"Even though I've been in the sport for quite a while I'm learning a lot of new things.
"He's basically studied me from the start of my run-up through to the landing and everything in between.
"He's gone through all of my mistakes and figured out how I can get better."
Lapierre expects it will take something close to his 2010 personal best of 8.40m to be among the medals in Beijing and believes he is in that sort of shape.
The Australian team for the Beijing event is headed by 2013 javelin world championships silver medallist Kim Mickle, 2009 discus gold medallist Dani Samuels and Jared Tallent, who boasts a swag of Olympic and world race walking medals.
The biggest absentee is Olympic and world 100m hurdles champion Sally Pearson, who is still recovering from a broken wrist.
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