Long jumper Mitchell Watt has leapt into second place on the Australian alltime list and also into medal contention for next month's world championships with another big personal best in Greece.

Watt, who only returned to the sport two years ago, has taken massive strides in 2009, improving his PB five times.

His winning distance of 8.43m at a meet in Rethimno, Crete, places the Queenslander behind only Sydney Olympic silver medallist Jai Taurima (8.49m) on the national alltime list.

And two of the only four men to have jumped further than Watt in 2009 are the most recent Olympic champions - American Dwight Phillips and Irving Saladino from Panama.

The 21-year-old Watt won by a massive 30cm from Hussein Al-Sabee of Saudi Arabia (8.13m) and American Brian Johnson (8.04m).

"Mitch's performance was in another category again, even compared to what he did in Madrid (when he recorded his previous PB of 8.34m earlier this month)," Watt's coach Gary Bourne told AAP from Rethimno.

"He just dominated this competition.

"He opened with his best-ever opening jump of 8.24, then had a foul which was a better jump again, then one from behind the board and then the 8.43.

"And then he just sat down and let the rest of them do their thing.

"He put them under a lot of pressure and there were good jumpers in that field, Johnson, who came second in the US trials and (Beijing Olympic finalist) Al-Sabee.

"He put them to rest pretty much."

Australia will have a strong two-pronged attack in the long jump at the August 15-23 world championships in Berlin, with Fabrice Lapierre also in career-best form and safely ensconced in the world's top 10.

Watt was unknown on the international circuit until he made his European debut earlier this month. In his first four meets in Europe, he has jumped 8.12m or further on each occasion and not finished outside the top four.

"He's going ahead in leaps and bounds," said Bourne. "It's not a total surprise to me, but it's certainly a great pleasure to see him performing at that level. "... I'm not going to put him under any pressure by giving any predictions on his behalf, but if he continues to jump the way he is, he can certainly be in the mix in Berlin."

"The expectation and the goals we've set are for him to make the final.

"Anything other than that for a kid in his first year is a huge bonus."

In other news from the meet in Crete, Lolo Jones won the women's 100m hurdles in 12.47 seconds - the fastest time in the world this year. But the American's blistering run does not have major ramifications for Australia's Olympic silver medallist Sally McLellan, as Jones failed to gain a berth in the crack American squad for the world titles.

Americans Lashinda Demus (54.29) and Tiffany Williams (54.60) went one-two in the women's 400m hurdles. Defending world champion Jana Pittman-Rawlinson has not bettered the 55-second mark in her two races to date in Europe.

Watt, McLellan and Pittman-Rawlinson are among a strong Australian contingent scheduled to compete in the London grand prix meet this weekend.

John Salvado
AAP