Poland's Maria Andrejczyk could be poised to improve on her women's javelin silver medal from the 2020 Games by unleashing the best throw in Wednesday's qualifying round, but she will have 2016 Olympic champion Sara Kolak breathing down her neck.
The 28-year-old Andrejczyk threw a season's best 65.52 metres on her opening throw at Stade de France and then called it a morning with her berth in the final assured.
Throwers needed to either record a 62.0m throw or finish among the top 12 to clinch spots in Saturday's final.
Croatia's Kolak, who won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, threw a second-best 64.57, while Colombia's Flor Denis Ruiz Hurtado, the world leader this season (66.70), threw 64.40 for third.
Austria's Victoria Hudson, who arrived in Paris with the world's third best throw this season (66.06), had a disastrous morning en route to finishing 20th overall. Adriana Vilagos of Serbia, who boasts the fourth best, suffered the same fate, throwing 60.49 to finish 13th, missing the final by one spot.