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Teenage sprint sensation Gout Gout has missed out on the 200m final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
The 17-year-old placed fourth in the second semi-final on Thursday night with a time of 20.36 seconds.
Bryan Levell of Jamaica won, while Letsile Tebogo of Botswana placed second, with both running under 20 seconds and automatically qualifying for the final on Friday night.
Coming around the bend, Gout was placed seventh but powered down the straight to finish fourth.
Gout is the youngest man in the 200m field in Tokyo and the youngest man ever to be selected in an Australian team at a World Athletics Championships.
Gout set the Australian record of 20.02 earlier this year.
He told reporters after the race that he “couldn’t be prouder” of himself after making the semi-final and competing against the big names.
“Obviously, I was aiming for that sub-20, but today wasn’t the day, God didn’t allow it today,” he said.
“But I know for sure in the future it’s going to be coming.”
He said there was one thing he had over many of his fellow athletes.
“The thing I have on them is time,” Gout said.
“They may not have 15 years, but I’ve got 15 years.
“I know that if I can do this at 17, I can do this at 25 and I’ll be even better at 25.”
Gout has said that after Tokyo, he’ll be taking a short break from competition to return to Australia for his final exams at school.
Despite the demands of his athletics training, the sprinter is known as a highly accomplished student with high grades and an interest in studying psychology.
Lewis out, but says she got ‘all she asked for’
Australian sprinter Torrie Lewis was also run out in the women’s semis, finishing fourth in 22.69 — some 0.13 slower than the personal best (PB) she clocked in the opening round.
Lewis also beat her own national record in the 100m earlier in the meet.
“A pretty good championships I would say; two PBs and that’s all I asked for coming in,” she said.
Lewis was drawn in a tough semi alongside 100m gold medallist Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and British star Dina Asher-Smith.
“I had Melissa and Dina this time and I didn’t really have the energy for the final 50 as I maybe usually would,” she said.
Australia’s hopes in other categories are still alive: two-time Olympic silver medallist Nicola Olyslagers and 2022 world champion Eleanor Patterson both advanced to Sunday’s high jump final with ease.
Australia will have a full contingent of three in the women’s 800m semi-final on Friday, with Jessica Hull, Claudia Hollingsworth and Abbey Caldwell advancing.
Australians Rose Davies and Linden Hall have qualified for the women’s 5,000m final after finishing fifth and seventh, respectively, in the second of two heats.
— With additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press
Every session from the nine-day event will be broadcast live and free across SBS VICELAND, including the World Athletics Championships 2025 Hub via SBS On Demand, which will also feature full replays, mini recaps and Aussie Focus clips for every session.
Morning sessions will run from 8am to 1.30pm AEST on September 13–15 and 20–21, while evening sessions will be from 8pm to 11.30pm AEST each night of the championships.
