Star Australian trio Nicola Olyslagers, Nina Kennedy and Kelsey-Lee Barber all rose to the occasion on a remarkable record-breaking night at the Paris Diamond League.
Three world records were broken, including the second in the space of a week by Kenyan superstar Faith Kipyegon in the 5000m.
But with only 70 days until the world championships in Budapest, the news was pretty much all good for the Australian contingent at Charlety Stadium on Friday night (early Saturday morning AEST).
Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Olyslagers won the high jump, 2022 world championships bronze medallist Kennedy saluted in the pole vault and dual world champ Barber was second in the javelin.
Making her season debut in Europe, Olyslagers became only the second woman this year to go over the 2.00m barrier.
Her final-round clearance proved good enough to relegate American Vashti Cunningham (1.97m) to second spot.
“To clear two metres on my third attempt was such a joy," said Olyslagers.
"I knew I had some really good jumps previously but I just went off my history and I knew that if I could hold my position and get that feeling like I did in 2021 - that anything is possible - that’s what we saw today."
The Australian then had three unsuccessful cracks at what would have been a new Australian record of 2.03m.
"I have a few more competitions, even in the next week, so hopefully I can go after that," she said.
"To attempt it is just having the faith that what I have inside of me is a lot stronger than any high jump bar."
After finishing third in last week's DL meet in Florence, Kennedy went to another level in the French capital to claim victory with 4.77m against a stacked field including gun American duo Katie Moon and Sandi Morris.
The West Australian is now fully recovered from a stress fracture in her back.
“The injury gave me a chance to go back to basics and do a lot of strength work," said Kennedy.
"I feel like a different athlete now and it’s really refreshing. Now it’s about trying to use everything I gained over that time."
As she has done so often on the biggest stages, Barber saved her best for last with a final-round effort of 62.54m clinching second spot in the javelin behind Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi (65.09m).
Consistent Australian Cationa Bisset (1:58.55) was fourth in a high-class women's 800m which saw Olympic silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson (1:55.77) lower the British record.
Kipyegon shattered the world record in the women's 5000m in her first race at the distance in eight years, just a week after breaking the world mark in the 1500m.
The Kenyan stopped the clock at 14 minutes 5.20 seconds, bettering the old standard of 14:06.62 set three years ago by Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey, who was second across the line in Paris.
It was one of three records to fall with Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia smashing the 3000m steeplechase record and Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen running a world's best in the two-mile race.
Noah Lyles, the American world champion in the 200m, won the men's 100m in 9.97.
with Reuters
