ATHLETICS: Teenage sensation Eleanor Patterson will be aiming to become the first Australian in 24 years to qualify for the women's high jump final at the world athletics championships on Thursday.

Patterson, 19, showed nerves of steel to win gold at last year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The Victorian rarely competes outside Australia, preferring to prepare for major events as far from the spotlight as possible.

But her best clearance 2015 clearance of 1.96m, set in Sydney in March, still has her in a lofty eighth spot on the world rankings.

Reigning Olympic champ Anna Chicherova from Russia shapes as the one to beat.

The last time Australia had a presence in the women's high jump final at a world championships was back in 1991 when Alison Inverarity and Vanessa Ward both qualified.

Australia are represented in all six events on the morning program on day six at the Bird's Nest.

In the enforced absence of world and Olympic champion Sally Pearson, the fast-improving Michelle Jenneke will fly the Australian flag in the opening round of the women's 100m hurdles.

Benn Harradine and Julian Wruck will both fancy their chances of pushing for spots in the men's discus final.

Madeline Heiner and Eloise Wellings run in the women's 5000m heats, Ryan Gregson contests the men's 1500m heats and Brooke Stratton will make her major championships debut in the qualifying round of the women's long jump.

AAP