Kelsey-Lee Barber has captured Australia's second medal of the athletics program at the Tokyo Olympics, winning bronze in the women's javelin final.
Barber, the reigning world champion, unleashed a season-best throw of 64.56 metres with her sixth and final attempt to reach the podium.
She was only five centimetres shy of Poland's silver medallist Maria Andrejczyk, who threw 64.61m with her second effort.
It is Australia's second medal in Olympic women's javelin following the silver medal won by Louise Currey (nee McPaul) at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
China's Liu Shiying won gold in Tokyo via her opening throw of 66.34m.
There were emotional scenes immediately after the final, with Barber — crying tears of joy as she later described — embracing her husband and coach Mike, who had been watching in the stands.
"There were moments this year where Mike and I were sitting and I was crying," Barber told Channel Seven.
"I wasn't sure if I was going to make it here, let alone think I was going to medal … I didn't want to give it up and I didn't want to stop fighting for it.
Australia achieved three top-eight results in the final, with Kathryn Mitchell sixth with a best throw of 61.82m, and Mackenzie Little eighth with 59.96m.
Meanwhile, fellow Australians Linden Hall and Jess Hull finished in sixth and 11th place in the women's 1,500m final.
Kenya's Faith Kipyegon won gold.
In the javelin final, Barber showed outstanding consistency with her series of six throws following some nervous moments during Tuesday's qualifying round.
She had been staring at an early exit in qualifying until she posted 62.59m with her last attempt to advance to the final.
A supremely confident Barber began Friday night's final with a solid 61.98m to be placed fourth at the end of the opening round.
The Canberra-based athlete then produced the first of three season-best throws in the final, with 63.69m in the second round moving her into third place.
The 29-year-old improved again in the fourth round with 64.04m.
The final round proved to be tense when Turkey's Eda Tugsuz managed her best throw of the night, but her effort fell four centimetres short of Barber to consign her to a fourth-place finish.
Barber appeared close to the edging into second place with her final attempt, which from the naked eye was clearly longer than her previous best.
But once the measurement was confirmed, it showed Barber had fallen just short of Andrejczyk's mark and she settled for the bronze.
Barber said she was elated to win bronze, even though her goal had been to take gold.
"I wanted the gold medal, I wanted to walk away an Olympic champion," she said.
"So it didn't matter where I was in the order (in the final), I was still fighting for that win the entire way and I think I just backed myself from the start.
"I knew if I had a big throw at the start it was going to challenge the girls, but it was like every throw was my last throw, because I know I can do something special with that."
