The only pain McCartney experienced in her pole vault qualifying at the world track and field championships was waiting to see if she would advance to the final.
Eventually she did, as one of the "next best" vaulters after failing to reach the automatic qualifying mark of 4.60m.
She took the 12th and last spot in qualifying on count back from Swiss Angelica Moser; McCartney failed one less time than Moser when clearing 4.50m.
The Rio Olympics bronze medallist was unable to make any of her three attempts at 4.55m, but insists that wasn't down to a nagging Achilles tendon injury.
"My Achilles held up well, so that's promising. It's competition ready. I think I was just rusty, but this was a good warm-up. There's plenty of time to recover [for the final].
Maybe the nerves won't be as great, because I'm in the final already."
McCartney said her lack of vaulting in the last month may have caught up with her.
"I was struggling to control my legs, they went a bit jelly and were doing some strange things.
"It wasn't ideal, but I made it. So I'll count my lucky stars."
Tom Walsh and Jacko Gill have made light work of the men's shot put qualifiers at the World Athletics Championships in London.
Walsh threw a season's best 22.14 metres, while Gill produced his best throw in seven months as he chucked 20.96m.
Both achieved the qualifying standard with their first throw.
Walsh got an early mental advantage over American rivals Ryan Crouser and Joe Kovacs, topping the qualifying standings.
"I'm really happy with the ease of the throw and the smoothness of it. It bodes well for tomorrow night [Monday morning NZT].... I was just concentrating on the freedom, moving really well off the back and keeping nice and full. It was just so smooth and exactly what I needed."
Jacko Gill was elated with the ease with which he qualified.
"It's perfect, I've never qualified in my first throw before... Even through juniors or anything, so I couldn't have asked for more. It's really ideal."