Australian Jeff Riseley knew there was a chance he could rupture the plantar fascia in his right foot by running at the world athletics championships.
He figured it was a risk worth taking and it paid off on Saturday as he advanced to the 800m semi-finals.
Riseley was back in sixth spot on the final bend but was able to power home in the final straight to finish third in his heat in one minute 46.79 seconds.
The Victorian has been in the best form of his career this year, making it all the more frustrating when he felt pain in his right foot earlier this month on arrival at the team camp in Japan.
An ultrasound revealed he had plantar fasciitis, the same condition which ruled him out of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Riseley had not run for 13 days leading up the world titles and had a local anaesthetic in his foot shortly before Saturday's race, where he advanced out of the heats for only the second time at world or Olympic level.
"I thought the race would open up and I knew I still had another gear if I could move (off the final bend)," he said.
"I just had to relax.
"In the past I would have stressed out or tightened up and tried to make the big move and not been able to finish it off.
"But I think I was as good as anyone in the last 100 - that's my strength and we've got to try and play to it.
"If I get through these championships, Rio is going to be a piece of cake."
As good as the opening-round run was, Riseley knows he will have to step it up again in Sunday's semis.
"The heats are pretty unpredictable because you don't actually know a lot of the guys," said the 28-year-old.
"I just want to get out there and fight a bit.
".. the foot's not great and the challenge now is how it will be tomorrow.
"We need to warm down and get the ice on it and then start it all over again."
Riseley also plans to contest the 1500m later in the championships if he can continue to successfully manage the foot injury.
Countryman Joshua Ralph was eliminated after coming home fifth in the opening 800m heat.
Kenyan Ferguson Rotich was the fastest qualifier in 1:45.93.
World record holder David Rudisha from Kenya and 2014 Commonwealth champion Nijel Amos from Botswana also advanced with a minimum of fuss.
Australians Heidi See and Melissa Duncan were both eliminated in the heats of the women's 1500m and James Nipperess was run out in the 3000m steeplechase, finishing second-last in his heat.
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