Mackenzie Little claims javelin bronze in Budapest

Doctor-in-waiting Mackenzie Little now has another moniker as Australia's clutch javelin queen, claiming world championships bronze in Budapest with a brilliant final-round effort.

For much of the competition it looked like Australia's three-pronged challenge would end without a spot on the podium.

But Little had other ideas.

Her last throw of 63.38m moved her from fifth position to second, only for Japan's Haruka Kitaguchi to then blow the competition apart with a huge heave of 66.73m that was good enough for gold.

"In rounds two, three, four and five I felt so close but there was just something missing," said Little.

"I kept going back to (coach Angus McEntyre) on the fence and saying 'I need to get this right and this right' and it was so close.

"If I'm honest it didn't all come together on the sixth.

"But I have more, I'm so excited to show you I have more at the Diamond League final and next year (at the Olympics).

"This is absolutely a dream. This is the highlight of my career."

Little's bronze on Friday night (early Saturday AEST) was the third medal won by Australia at the Budapest world titles.

And she did it all in 2023 while balancing elite athletics with her other life as a final-year medicine student at Sydney University.

"My flight home leaves tomorrow morning and I'm at the hospital on Monday morning but I hear there's a medal ceremony so we're going to talk about that later," said the 26-year-old, who will officially be Dr Little by the time the Paris Olympics come around.

"This two weeks away has felt like forever and I feel like it's been such a luxury going to the spa every day and having this lifestyle.

"But there's a part of me too that loves the routine.

"The normalcy helps with the come-down from these major championships where the emotions are running so high.

"I feel like I spent this year trying to prove myself, that this is how I compete best."

Colombia's Flor Denis Ruiz Hurtado (65.47m) took the silver.

In recent years it has been Australia's two-time defending world champ Kelsey-Lee Barber regularly coming up with the final-round heroics.

But she could not find a way into podium contention, eventually finishing seventh with 61.19m.

It was the first time since 2017 that Barber had come away from a major championships without a medal.

National record holder Kathryn Mitchell hurled her water bottle in frustration and stormed off the arena in tears after tearing her adductor on her final warm-up, just minutes before the final began.

The 41-year-old has endured an injury-plagued year and only qualified for the championships last month.

Australian record holder Catriona Bisset and Abbey Caldwell were eliminated in the 800m semi-finals.

The 22-year-old Caldwell could take great heart from breaking the two-minute mark for the first two times in her career in Budapest.

Australia failed to get the baton around in the opening round of the women's 4x100m relay after Bree Masters and Kristie Edwards made a mess of the second change.