Queenslander Joshua Robinson has heaved his way into the Rio Olympics with the biggest javelin throw by an Australian in more than eight years.
Once a promising fast bowler, 30-year-old Robinson showed he'd left his 2015 knee surgery behind him when he produced a career-best 85.11m throw in Perth on Saturday.
The effort all but guarantees Robinson's addition to the Australian Olympic team for the Rio Games.
"I had a look at the video after the throw and it looked amazing," said red-haired Robinson, who has overcome numerous injury setbacks since trading cricket for athletics.
"I'm over the moon. I started working with my coach Richard Brockett in 1999 and over an almost 18-year journey we've improved from a 45-metre best effort to this.
"I came over (to Perth) for a bit of training with the throwers here, hit an 82-metre effort last weekend and have improved to 85.11m today.
"This is a great start to a Rio 2016 preparation but the hard work is still to come."
Robinson's big breakthrough came on the same day Rio-bound fellow Australians Dani Samuels and Fabrice Lapierre delivered podium finishes at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Shanghai.
Samuels placed second in the women's discus with the third best throw of her career - a heave of 67.77 metres to finish behind only Croatia's world champion Sandra Perkovic (70.88).
Lapierre soared to 8.09m in the final round of the men's long jump to finish behind Xinglong Gao (8.14m) of China and South Africa's Rushwal Samaai (8.14m).
It continues an impressive year for the 32-year-old Lapierre, with his 2016 results also including a world indoor championships silver medal and the national crown thanks to an 8.27m leap in Sydney.
Taking to the runway after an 83.53m personal best throw at the Golden Grand Prix in Kawasaki (JPN) last weekend, Hamish Peacock (Tas) placed fifth in the men's javelin with a throw of 82.28m. His three attempt series also included marks of 81.18m and 80.82m.
Zoe Buckman (Vic), who made the women's 1500m final at the 2013 world championships, crossed the line in 4:10.28 to place 11th in the women's 1500m.
Young Tasmanian flyer Jack Hale clocked 10.40 seconds to finish fifth in the pre-meet men's 100m.
He returned for the 4x100m relay with Brandon Herrigan, Cameron Searle, and Trae Williams, the team finishing sixth in 39.62 - the third-fastest time ever by the Australian boys under-20 team.
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