Four Aussies have put their stake in the ground with strong results in lead up to the Paris Games.

A quartet of Australian athletes have put themselves well and truly in the frame for Paris medals, finishing with strong podium results at the Doha stop of the world’s premier athletic series.

FOUR of Australia’s medal chances for Paris have put their stake in the ground early with outstanding results at the Doha Diamond League.

World pole vault champion Nina Kennedy, discus thrower Matt Denny, 1500m star Jessica Hull and high-jumper Eleanor Patterson all finished on the podium at the third stop of the world’s premier athletics series.

In her first international competition of the year Kennedy went head-to-head with Great Britain’s world indoor champion Molly Caudery with the pair both clearing 4.73m but an early miss at 4.53m meant the Australian had to settle for second in the blustery conditions.

“I think my mindset has changed since winning the world title. This is my first competition back with the best girls in the world. I’m a little bit rusty but if anything has changed, it’s just that I have higher expectations of myself now,” Kennedy said.

“Molly is an amazing jumper. We both cleared 4.73m on our first attempts so that fills me with confidence.”

Denny came into Doha off a new personal best at the Australian championships and he replicated that form with the second biggest throw of his career, 69.02m, to finish second behind 2022 world champion Kristjian Ceh who threw 70.48m in the fourth round to sneak ahead of the Australian.

Luke Denny is in good shape for Paris success. Picture: Matt Dunham

“It’s a good start, I wouldn’t say I’m super stoked with it because it was tough with the conditions and with the slippery circle. I was a little bit surprised by the 69m, so it’s a solid start but we know there is a lot more in the tank,” Denny said.

Hull overcame a roughhouse race where she was checked early in the bell lap to roar home over the final 200m for second place (4min00.84sec) behind Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu (4:00.42sec).

“It was so physical out there,” Hull said. “About 150m in I was reminded that this isn’t quite like racing in Australia. I think we slowed down a lot in the middle and when it bunches like that it gets pretty rough with everyone trying to fight for the same position.

“With 500m to go I had quite a tussle with (Diribe) Welteji but I was able to use my experience to regain composure. It would’ve been pretty easy at that point to get frustrated but I was able to find some space and get back into my own running.”

Fellow Australians Georgia Griffith and Abbey Caldwell finished in 11th and 14th placings respectively.

In the women’s high-jump 2022 world champion Eleanor Patterson continued her return to form after an interrupted summer, finishing third with a clearance of 1.91m behind Serbian Angelina Topic (1.94m),