When you set a standard for yourself, let alone the sport, matching it can be tough, sometimes impossible.
But after two competitions this year, the anticipation will now grow as to how far Poland’s Anita Wlodarczyk will take her hammer world record.
Last summer, Wlodarczyk broke the mould with 81.08m, the first woman to smash the 80m barrier, a stunning performance which she later rubbed-stamped by winning the world title with 80.85m.
And it seems she is looking for something special again in 2016.
On Thursday in the Czech Republic, Wlodarczyk opened her season with a brilliant performance, winning at the Ostrava Golden Spike with a meeting record of 78.54m and then on Saturday she took her world lead further with an even more impressive 79.48m in Halle, the fourth longest throw in history.
Wlodarczyk has won gold at the last two European Athletics Championships, breaking the championship record when she won in Zurich 2014 with 78.76m. With Amsterdam and Rio drawing closer, it could be another spectacular time for her.
[VIDEO src='1279053' align='right'] [VIDEO src='1279053' align='right']
Looking at her series from Ostrava made impressive reading in itself, with 71.55m, 77.42m, 78.54m, 77.43m, 77.32m, 76.98m and then came Halle with 76.40m, 79.48m, X, 79.04m, 78.80m, 78.90m.
On both occasions she beat China’s Wang Zheng (73.80m in Ostrava, 72.46m in Halle), while at the meeting in Germany, British record-holder Sophie Hitchon was third (71.63m).
Just where will the season end for Wlodarczyk if she has started like this?