Reigning champion Kelsey-Lee Barber has advanced to the women's javelin final, while Peter Bol won his heat of the men's 800 metes at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
Barber's second-round effort of 61.27 metres was good enough to secure a berth in the final on Saturday AEST, with Japan's Haruka Kitaguchi topping the qualifying round with 64.32m.
Barber, the Olympic bronze medallist, was joined in the final by fellow Australian Mackenzie Little, who progressed with 59.06m, but 2018 Commonwealth Games champion Kathryn Mitchell was eliminated.
"I just need to stand at the top of the runway with full belief in what I can achieve and that is to throw far, execute the process and the javelin will fly," Barber said.
"I love this atmosphere, I thrive on it and I'm ready."
Bol cruised into the men's 800m semifinals with minimal fuss.
He first announced himself as a world-class competitor last year at the Tokyo Olympics when he twice broke the national record before finishing fourth in the final.
He arrived in Eugene as a legitimate medal contender, a status only further confirmed by his impressive opening-round heat win.
The 30-year surged to the front with half a lap to go and eased to the line in one minute and 45.50 seconds.
"When I saw I was world number three coming into the championships, it was like, 'Wow'," Bol said.
"You realise you are in a good place.
"After last year, my manager always says that the second year is the hardest to back up and I think I've done it well, I've already broken the Australian record again.
Joseph Deng, who preceded Bol as the Australian record holder, was a non-starter due to an Achilles tendon issue.
The semifinals are on Friday AEST.
National record holder Jessica Hull was a non-starter in the women's 5,000m heats after testing positive for COVID-19 following her seventh-placed finish in the 1,500m two days ago.
She is now in isolation at home in Portland.
On another hot day in Eugene, Natalie Rule only made it to the halfway stage of the opening heat of the 5,000m before pulling out in clear distress.
Rose Davies was 15th in the other heat.
Alex Beck was eliminated in the men's 400m semifinals in 46.21, while Sarah Carli ran a season's best time of 55.57 but was also run out in the women's 400m hurdles semifinals.
AAP/ABC
