Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout has fallen short of the 200m final at the world championships despite finishing an impressive fourth in his semi-final, before fellow rising star Torrie Lewis produced the same result in the women’s event.
A day after cruising through the heats in Tokyo, the 17-year-old Gout showed signs of some nerves lining up for the blockbuster race featuring reigning Olympic gold medallist Letsile Tebogo on a damp track.
Gout’s slow start got the better of him and his trademark burst after the turn could only carry him to fourth in 20.36 seconds — short of what was required to reach the final but still a historic outcome as the youngest in the field by far.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today 
“That’s amazing,” Tamsyn Manou said in commentary on SBS.
“He’s 17 years of age and he’s just finished fourth in a world championships semi-final. That’s an incredible result.”
Tebogo (19.95) qualified for the final behind Bryan Levell (19.78), while in the last heat Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles laid down a marker with victory in 19.51 — the fastest time of the year to date — after fellow American Kenny Bednarek (19.88) also impressed in the first heat.
Gout, the youngest man ever to be selected in an Australian team for a world athletics championships, has taken the experience in his stride despite the external expectations.
“It’s great to be out here competing on the world stage,” he said after his heat on Wednesday.
“I’m just happy, happy to be here, and can’t wait for the semi.
“It’s great experience, running against the big dogs and I’m just excited for more.”
Gout will now focus on the relays and soon return home to complete his Year 12 exams before building towards the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games in July-August next year.
Lewis replicated Gout’s fourth-place result when she lined up in the second women’s semi-final half an hour after her compatriot.
The Aussie had a strong start but was unable to hold position and crossed the line in 22.69 seconds, with Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (22.00) claiming victory just days after winning the 100m title.
“At 20 years of age she really ran a pretty good 200m,” Manou said.
“She got out well, ran around the bend, stayed relaxed when Jefferson-Wooden came through her.
“Probably the only phase that she’ll look back and say was maybe a little bit weak was coming off the bend. But that’s really hard when you’ve got this company.
“She’s still run a really, really good time and I just love the championship that Torrie Lewis has had.”
Earlier this week Lewis broke her own 100m national record in the heats (11.08) but was gutted to run slower in her semi-final and miss the final.
Elsewhere on Thursday night, Jess Hull, Abbey Caldwell and national record-holder Claudia Hollingsworth reached the 800m semi-finals in vastly different circumstances.
Caldwell (1:58.71) finished a narrow fourth in a fast heat to qualify on time, before Hollingsworth, 20, hit the front early and hung on for third (1:59.06) in her heat.
Australian champion Hull suffered a nightmare race in the final heat.
Treating the event as a free hit after winning 1500m bronze earlier this week, the 28-year-old was tripped and hit the deck on the first lap.
She got up to finish the race — and her protest was successful, ensuring Australia will have three women in the 800 semis for the first time in world championships history.
Australians Rose Davies and Linden Hall qualified for the women’s 5000m final after finishing fifth and seventh respectively in the second of two heats.
Georgia Griffith missed out after trailing home in 17th spot in the first heat.
On the field, dual Olympic silver medallist Nicola Olyslagers and 2022 world champion Eleanor Patterson both advanced to Sunday’s high jump final with ease.
The Australian duo both took only two jumps each in the qualifying round, with first-time clearances at 1.92m good enough for them to advance in equal first place alongside world record-holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh from Ukraine.
- with AAP
Stream free on
