Brandon Starc has produced the best high jump by an Australian in 17 years to soar into the men's final at the world athletics championships in Beijing.
Starc - the younger brother of Australian Test fast bowler Mitchell Starc - was twice just one jump away from elimination, needing third-time clearances to get over at 2.26m and 2.29m in the qualifying round.
But the 21-year-old New South Welshmen then flew over 2.31m at the first attempt to claim a berth in Sunday's final.
Not since Olympic and world bronze medallist Tim Forsyth cleared 2.32m in 1998 has an Australian reached such heights.
Forsyth is also the only other Australian to qualify for a men's high jump final at the world titles, a feat he last achieved in 1997.
The conditions were warm and I felt great in my warm-up," said Starc.
"My run-up wasn't quite there for the early jumps, but at 2.31m it was spot on.
"I had some room to move and jumped quite well.
"I'm more mature here. I know what it takes to jump well now."
Starc's previous PB was 2.30m set two years ago in Sydney.
Countryman Joel Baden did not make it out of the qualifying round, although his best clearance of 2.26m was still the highest he has jumped in 2015.
Rachel Tallent was the best-performed Australian in a women's 20km walk dominated on Friday by the host nation.
Making her major championships debut, 22-year-old Tallent finished 34th in one hour 36 minutes and 27 seconds - 1:34 slower than her PB set earlier this year in the Chinese city of Taicang.
Tallent is coached by her older brother and multiple world and Olympic medallist Jared Tallent, who contests the men's 50km event on Saturday.
Beki Smith was disqualified, while the third Australian entrant, 42-year-old Kelly Ruddick, did not make it to the start-line due to an ear infection.
World record holder Hong Liu won China's first gold medal of the world championships, crossing the finish line in 1:27:45, the same time as countrywoman and silver medallist Xuizhi Liu.
Ukraine's Lyudmyla Olyanovska was third in 1:28:13.
