Day Five: Kurtis and Kelsey-Lee set for London finals

A count back in qualifying at a major championships this time worked in favour of Australian pole-vaulter Kurtis Marschall who will compete in the final in London.

The 20-year-old cleared 5.60m in the English capital two days ago to qualify for his first major final after just missing out on countback at the Olympic Games in Rio last year.

Strong performances across the domestic season, which included a national title, set the 2016 world under 20 silver medallist up for a personal best in Europe last month.

Marschall cleared 5.73m at the Lausanne Diamond League to place fourth and edging out Swedish young gun Armand Duplantis, who is also in the London final.

Also featuring in the final is 2012 Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie (FRA) and Sam Kendricks from the United States who is the world leader with a season’s best of 6.00 metres.

He will be the youngest Australian male to compete in the final of an individual event at a world championships as he continues to make big gains so early in his career.

That was fun, let's do it again! Finals time- Tuesday 8th, 7:20pm

A post shared by •KELSEY ROBERTS• (@kelsey_roberts) on Aug 7, 2017 at 12:38pm PDT

In the women’s javelin Kelsey-Lee Roberts (ACT) enters the final in career best form at a stadium she set her personal best in last month in the city’s Diamond League meeting.

Her career best of 64.38m puts a top-eight finish well within Roberts’ reach and the chance of a medal a possibility if she can find her rhythm on the night.

Roberts, the bronze medallist from the 2014 Commonwealth Games, has thrown two personal bests this season following her first national title win earlier in the domestic season.

Two-time Olympic champion and bronze medallist from Rio last year Barbora Spotakova (CZE) will be one of the favourites with a season’s best of 68.26 metres.

Two Australians line up in the heats of the women’s 200m that features 17-year-old schoolgirl Riley Day (Qld) who makes her senior debut in green and gold.

Saturday ft. blocks & 150's 💚💛 #bounce

A post shared by ELLA NELSON (@ellanelson200) on Jul 29, 2017 at 4:37am PDT

Day is fresh off winning gold and silver medals at the Commonwealth Youth Games and will be in the lane next to Olympic silver medallist and defending world champion Dafne Schippers (NED).

Ella Nelson (NSW) will run in heat three of the 200m with a season’s best of 23.00 intent on finding her form in the Olympic Stadium after battling to hit her stride in the build-up to the championships.

The semi-finalist from the Olympics last year, who missed out on the final by just one place, has the third fastest personal best in her heat and is intent on starting her season fresh in London with a quick run.

Elsewhere on the track, a tantalising 400m final has much of the athletics world licking it's lips in anticipation. Four men in the event have run faster than 44 seconds this season, including world record holder and reigning Olympic champion Wayde van Niekerk (RSA).

He is the red-hot favourite to add the world title to his trophy cabinet, but will have strong competition from Isaac Makwala (BOT), Fred Kerley (USA) and Steven Gardiner (BAH).