Given her plight this time last year, Olympic javelin medallist Kelsey-Lee Barber will take second place in her first domestic competition of the season.
Fellow Olympic finalist Mackenzie Little upstaged Barber to win their event on Saturday night at the Melbourne Track Classic.
But Barber could see the positives, especially in light of her severe form struggles 12 months ago.
"I am really happy with how I performed tonight on the runway - the distances, not so much," she said.
"I think they'll come.
"But second session off a full approach, what can I say? I am really happy to be back out here, I am in a much better state mentally than I was last year and I'm really trying to soak that up and stand at the top of the runway with confidence to deliver the javelin.
"That's what I was able to do tonight."
It is a big year for Australian athletics, with the world titles followed immediately by the Commonwealth Games, but it is particularly significant for Barber given her star status.
As well as winning bronze at Tokyo - the first Australian Olympic medal in the women's javelin since Louise McPaul's silver at the Atlanta Games - she is also the reigning world champion.
So while Barber will wear Saturday night's loss, she is keen that doesn't repeat at the nationals later this month and then the Brisbane Track Classic.
"I've had my one loss for the season. I don't want to do it again," she said.
Nevertheless, Barber is rapt at the standard of local competition - apart from Little, Kathryn Mitchell also made the Tokyo Olympics final and is the reigning Commonwealth Games champion.
Mitchell was at Lakeside Stadium on Saturday night, but did not compete.
"It's absolutely fantastic for our event, because you know you're showing up and you can't slouch. You have to be able to find something on the day, because you know you have someone pushing you," Barber said.
"Or exactly what happened tonight - I had a throw that cleared 60 (metres), it wasn't enough. That's great for the domestic season."
Also on Saturday night, sprinter Ella Connolly continued her scorching form when she took out the 200m.
Connolly has won 18 of her 19 starts this season as she aims to qualify for the sprint double at the worlds and the Commonwealth Games.
Jacob Despard, the 2018 Stawell Gift winner, won the men's 100m.
The inaugural John Landy Memorial mile was staged last night in memory of the middle-distance legend, who died last month.
Mick Stanovsek won in three minutes 59.45 seconds and Callum Davies also went sub-four with 3:59.54 to take second.
