Ciara Mageean eased into the final of the 1500m at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
The Portaferry athlete, racing in the first of Sunday's semi-finals, stayed out of trouble throughout the opening half of the race before she started to make her way through the field.
Mageean was momentarily boxed in ahead of the bell, but she opted to take the long way round, moving up into the qualifying places with 300 metres to race.
The European silver medallist kicked midway around the final round to ensure that the leading duo were within reach and was in the ideal position coming down the home straight to ease down through the gears with a top six finish easily achieved.
In the end, Mageean finished third in a time of 4:02.70, with Kenya's Nelly Chepchirchir taking first place with Ethopia's Birke Haylom in second.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport afterwards, it was a case of job done for the Portaferry athlete.
"I'm feeling good, feeling happy with that, the aim was to be here and be in that final. Now I'm there, it's anybody's game.
Mageean also alluded to the confidence she had in finding the space to make her move when it mattered from the bunched field.
"I pretty much knew we'd all be in and around the same kind of place, just prepared for it to be either strung out or to be a bunch, and it was a bunch. You have to tell yourself not to panic, hoping that you will get out.
"I felt confident with my finish. I'm looking forward to getting out there; I'm in good shape with the season I've had off the back of last season. I' m excited to get out there and race."
In the other semi, Sarah Healy came home eighth to miss out on a spot in the final.
It was a faster race with Kenya's Faith Kipyegon winning in 3:55:14, exactly seven seconds faster than her compatriot Chepchirchir in the first heat. The top six broke clear on the last lap as the field splintered.
Healy's time of 3:59.68 was more than three seconds faster than Mageean's time, and a PB, but the luck of the draw meant she missed out on a place in Tuesday's final.
Andrew Coscoran bowed out of the 1500m, finishing 14th in his semi-final, which was won by American Yared Nuguse in a time of 3:32.69.
Coscoran ran similar times and lower this summer but was unable to stay with the quick pace of the leaders and ended up almost five seconds behind the winner.
Kate O'Connor finished 13th in the heptathlon following the 800m event, which brought the curtain down on the seven-event competition.
The Dundalk St Gerard's athlete finished fourth in her heat in a time of 2:14.06, which was a season best for O'Connor.
Earlier, O'Connor had continued her consistent run of performances in the heptathlon, posting a best of 5.74m in the long jump before following up with a 46.07m throw in the javelin.
O'Connor finished with a total of 6145 points, as Great Britain's Katarina Johnson-Thompson took gold with a finaly tally of 6740.
Earlier, Rhasidat Adeleke breezed into the semi-finals of the 400m at the World Athletics Championships with a controlled performance in her heat on Sunday.
Adeleke has had another brilliant season and comes to Hungary with genuine hopes of making the podium.
She negotiated her first test of the championships with a typically impressive run to win the heat and ensure she will line up in Monday's semis.
Tipperary's Sharlene Mawdsley produced an excellent performance to join her compatriot in the semi-finals.
The first three in each heat plus the six fastest times porogressed. That meant Mawdsley's fourth-placed finish in her heat, achieved with a PB of 51.17, was enough to qualify.
Mawdsley was part of the 4x400m mixed relay team that finished a commendable sixth in Saturday's final.
Chris O'Donnell's hopes ended after he finished seventh in his 400m heat in a time of 46.72.
