Shayna Jack has been left celebrating her second individual world championship medal of a workaholic week, splashing to bronze in the blue riband 100m freestyle in Doha.
The resilient 25-year-old Australian, who's bounced back following her mental health struggles while battling to clear her name after testing positive for a banned substance, added the medal on Friday to the 50m free silver she won at Fukuoka last year.
But while the Brisbane swimmer couldn't cope with the blistering late surge of the new Dutch champion, Marrit Steenbergen, the Dolphins still look well set to grab their second gold of the meet when Cameron McEvoy, easily the fastest in qualifying, defends his 50m free title on Saturday.
In all, Brisbane's Jack has now annexed 15 world medals - 13 of them having come in relays and four alone in this Doha edition - as she clocked 52.83sec to finish behind Steenbergen, who roared from fourth at the turn to win in 52.26, three-tenths ahead of Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey.
It's a remarkable record for the Queenslander, who missed out on the Olympic Games in Tokyo while serving a ban for testing positive for Ligandrol, a punishment halved by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) who determined she did not intentionally and knowingly use the substance.
“I’m really proud of myself for that race, it was all about execution, and I did exactly what I was looking for tonight," said Jack, who admitted to nerves before her race.
"It’s always special to stand on the podium for my country. My main focus is Paris and coming here, I wanted to race as much as possible. That was race number 10 in six days) for me – and I still have the 50 and then relays."
Veteran McEvoy roared to a 21.13sec heat time in the morning - just 0.07 outside the personal best he set when winning the splash and dash in Fukuoka last year – and was a tenth of a second slower in the evening's semis, but still quickest of all the finalists by 0.15.
His Australian teammate Isaac Cooper made it as seventh fastest qualifier in 21.74.
Another Aussie medal looks on the cards as 17-year-old prospect Jaclyn Barclay qualified as second fastest for the 200m backstroke final, even if American Claire Curzan is an unbackable favourite to emulate the absent Kaylee McKeown by repeating her 50/100/200 backstroke Fukuoka treble.
Curzan was the fastest qualifier in 2min 07.01sec, while Queenslander Barclay, already having finished fourth in the 100m back, won her semi handsomely in 2:08.85.
Alex Perkins was fourth fastest qualifier (25.81sec) from the 50m butterfly semi-finals, and will be joined in the final by the tireless Brianna Throssell, seventh fastest in 25.97.
The great Swede Sarah Sjostrom (25.08) was quickest, now owning the 23 fastest times ever in the event as she goes for a sixth straight 50 fly triumph.
Kiah Melverton (8:35.22) and Maddy Gough (8:35.25) made it into Saturday’s 800m final as the seventh and eight fastest qualifiers, respectively.
It was a big night for the Netherlands, with Tes Schouten joining Steenbergen on the golden trail with a 200m breaststroke gold, while Hugo Gonzalez won the men's 200m backstroke for Spain.
Dong Zhihao kept the men's 200m breaststroke crown in Chinese hands ahead of another Dutch stand-out Caspar Corbeau, while 100m freestyle champion Pan Zhanle helped the men claim the 4x200m freestyle relay.
