Gout Gout has raced to a hugely credible fourth place in his 200m semifinal at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Thursday night.
The run was not enough for the 17-year-old to make the final.
"It was really good," Gout Gout said.
"Semifinalist and got to compete against the big guys, couldn't be prouder of myself for sure.
"Obviously I was aiming for that sub-20 but today wasn't the day. But for sure in the future it's gunna come."
Gout was still the centre of attention at the Tokyo National Stadium as he aimed to stun the world and reach the final.
The Queenslander was again slightly slow around the bend, seventh at the 100m split trailing heat winner Bryan Levell and Letsile Tebogo.
But the teenager powered down the home straight, showing the same blistering finishing speed that first brought him to the world's attention in the first place.
"[The] Biggest eye opener is that I can compete at the young age that I am, against the best men in the world," Gout said.
"That's been the biggest eye opener. Just knowing that I can actually go out there, run hard and place against these grown men, it's great."
Torrie Lewis, who was also the youngest runner in the semifinals, finished fourth in her heat too, also missing out.
Lewis took the semifinal out bravely but tired in the closing stages as her more experienced rivals pulled away.
Despite missing the final, Lewis came away from two personal bests in her two individual events, with the 4x100m relay to come.
"I needed to understand with the 100, even though I didn't make the final, it was a good race and I am happy with it," she said.
"I kinda took that mindset into the 200 and definitely less emotional than the 100.
"I was a little bit tired, but I'm happy with the PB I got yesterday and backed it up with a pretty solid time tonight as well."
Jess Hull reinstated after 800m fall
There was drama in the women's 800m, with Australia's 1,500m bronze medallist Jess Hull tripped just 200 metres into her heat.
"I'm probably lucky the track is a bit wet because I just slid rather than hit the ground," she said.
"There was nothing different I could have done."
Hull bravely continued and finished the race but it seemed her chances of qualifying were over.
However, Australian Athletics appealed and Hull was reinstated to join Claudia Hollingsworth and Abbey Caldwell.
It is the first time that three Australian women have made the semifinals of the 800m.
Earlier, Rose Davies and Linden Hall made history in the 5,000m, both reaching the final — the first time Australia will have two runners in a world championship final in the event.
Meanwhile Olympic medallists Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson both qualified for the high jump final with consummate ease.
Later, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone ran a staggering 47.78, a new championship record and the second fastest time in history, to win the women's 400m final.
The existing world record, set by East German runner Marita Koch, stands at 47.60.
It was set in 1985 at Bruce stadium in Canberra.
Look back on how all the action unfolded in our live blog.
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