Heptathlete Jessica Ennis delighted her coach Toni Minichiello with a new personal best in the javelin personal at the Loughborough International on Sunday.
Ennis, using the event as a final warm-up before taking on some of the world's best performers at the Gotzis Hypo meeting in a fortnight's time, produced three confidence-boosting displays.
The 22-year-old Sheffielder saved the best for last when, for the second time in a fortnight, she improved her javelin best, this time to 43.08metres.
"She's really pleased and we're moving on little by little," said Minichiello.
"Four of her six attempts were over 40metres, so it's now becoming standard and in heptathlon terms would add 40 points to her score."
That she is coming to terms with the sixth discipline in the heptathlon will have delighted Ennis, who has been advised by fellow Yorkshireman and former world bronze medallist Mick Hill.
Earlier in the day Ennis, a strong contender for a heptathlon medal in Beijing, was also happy with her 100m hurdles time of 13.59seconds and 6.30m long jump.
"I jumped 6.30m in the long jump with a new run-up so it was nice to try that out," said the Commonwealth Games bronze medallist.
"It was a bit of a slow time into a headwind but it was my first hurdles of the season so nice to get a run in."
Ennis will now travel to the Gotzis meeting, where she faces world-class opposition, with lots of confidence but fellow Brit Olympic bronze medallist Kelly Sotherton has withdrawn through illness.
"All of the top heptathlon contenders will be in Austria, so it will be a good, strong competition," she said. "I'll get a real indication of where I am at."
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, running only his second 100m race since September 2006, once again showed he is fully recovered from the stress fracture in his back which totally wiped out his 2007.
Aikines-Aryeetey, a week after posting a personal best and Olympic qualifier of 10.18secs, won a less challenging race in windy conditions with a time of 10.48.
Now he is very confident, after moving into the senior ranks he can seriously challenge for a Team GB place in Beijing.
Aikines-Aryeetey said: "It's nice to be back. Running my first race in 10.1sec, I think kind of shocked a few (rivals).
"I don't think anyone expected me to do that. I suppose it said, 'I'm out to say I'm here'. They'll take me seriously now."
Meanwhile, Jo Pavey brilliantly retained her BUPA Great Manchester Run title in beating Kenyan Rose Cheruiyot by 10 seconds in a time of 31minutes 58seconds.
The Grand Prix IAAF de Dakar meeting saw European triple jump silver medallist Nathan Douglas finish fourth with a best effort of 16.82m as Grenada's Randy Lewis won with a leap of 17.30m.
Donna Fraser finished seventh in the 100m in a time of 11.89 and was then fourth over 200m with a clocking of 23.77.
Marilyn Okoro, stepping down from her favourite 800m distance, was sixth in the 400m in a time of 53.94.
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