Rio Olympics javelin finalist Kathryn Mitchell has catapulted into world championships medal contention with third place at the Diamond League meet in Lausanne.
Mitchell hurled a personal-best 66.12m to take out the bronze medal in Switzerland on Thursday.
Her previous best was 66.10m, set more than three years ago in Adelaide.
The 34-year-old's toss among a world-class field was just 71cm short of Kim Mickle's national record and is the sixth-best in the world this year.
Croatian winner, Rio Olympic champion Sara Kolak (68.43), and second-placed Czech world record-holder Barbora Spotakova (67.40) delivered the top two throws of 2017, on a day when all five Australian competitors produced personal bests.
This year's national javelin champion Kelsey-Lee Roberts equalled her PB of 64.06m with her final throw to place fourth behind Mitchell.
But the other headline act was pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall, who took his surging form to a new level by clearing 5.73m to finish fourth.
The 20-year-old's effort was the seventh-highest by an Australian of all time and the best since Beijing 2008 gold medallist Steve Hooker jumped 5.95 in 2010.
It was also higher than last year's Olympics best of 5.60m that put him out of the 12-man final only on countback.
Linden Hall and Jenny Blundell also produced PBs in the women's mile, finishing ninth and 10th respectively in a quick race won by Ethiopia's Genzebe Dibaba in meet-record time.
Hall at one point led the chasing pack before crossing the line in four minutes 28.21 seconds, just ahead of Blundell in 4:28.82.
The rival pair are now ranked fifth and sixth on the Australian all-time list for women over the distance.
Elsewhere, South African Wayde van Niekerk cruised to victory in the 400 metres in 43.62 seconds, and American Justin Gatlin warmed up for the world championships with a win in the men's 100m in a time of 9.96 seconds.
This weekend the Diamond League moves to London, where Sally Pearson and Ryan Gregson compete and Brooke Stratton will continue her chase a world titles qualifier.
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