TOKYO -- Australian sprinters Gout Gout and Torrie Lewis both missed out on securing a spot in their respective 200m finals at the world athletics championships on Thursday evening.
Gout, the 17-year-old sensation from Queensland, ran a 20.36s in wet conditions at the Japan National Stadium to take a brave fourth place in his semifinal. He was unable to improve on his heat run from 24 hours earlier, finishing 0.34s adrift of the national record he set earlier this year.
"Semifinalist and got to compete against the big guys. I couldn't be prouder of myself," said Gout. "Obviously I was aiming for that sub-20, but today wasn't the day. But for sure in the future it's gunna come."
Only the top two from each of the three semifinals, plus the two runners with the best times outside the non-automatic qualifiers advanced to Friday's medal race. Gout ended the semifinals with the 18th-best overall time and 12th-best of the non-automatic qualifiers.
Jamaican star Bryan Levell won the race in 19.78s, ahead of 2024 Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, who ran 19.95s. American Courtney Lindsey was third in a time of 20.30s.
However, the standout of the semifinals was reigning Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles. The American showman posted a blistering 19.51s -- the best time by anyone over 200m this season -- in the final race to prove he's back at full fitness and in contention for gold tomorrow evening.
Like Gout, Lewis also ran fourth in her 200m semifinal. The Australian record holder over 100m and four-time national champion was also unable to improve on her heat mark, posting a 22.69s to finish behind American 100m champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (22.00s), Great Britain's Dina Asher-Smith (22.21s), and Jamaica's Ashanti Moore (22.51s).
Also on night six in Tokyo, Australian high jump pair Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson comfortably secured their passage to the final of the event, which will be staged on Sunday evening, the last day of competition. Both Olyslagers and Patterson are world champions in the high jump and cleared 1.92m to easily advance.
Earlier, both Rose Davies and Linden Hall qualified for the women's 5000m final. The pair finished third and seventh, respectively, in their heat. It's the first time Australia will have double representation in this final at the world championships.
There will also be three Australians in the semifinals of the women's 800m, after Abbey Caldwell, Claudia Hollingsworth, and Jess Hull all advanced. Caldwell and Hollingsworth qualified on time, while Hull lodged what would be a successful appeal after being tripped early in her race. The semifinals will take place on Friday evening.
Here's how night six at the world championships unfolded: