The expectations around the Australian teenage phenom Gout Gout were always high. When he broke his own 200m time with a 20.02 record at the Golden Spike meet in the Czech Republic three months ago, they only grew. Specifically, his successful debut at the World Athletics Competition stage looked more promising than ever. But while the 17-year-old entered the semi-finals easily with a 20.23-second performance in the heats, he couldn’t repeat it on Thursday night. Gout’s journey in Tokyo will end with his 20.36-second, fourth-position finish, 0.58 seconds behind Jamaican Bryan Levell. Still, he has found his friend and mentor rooting for him in Noah Lyles.

The American broke this year’s world record when he clocked an impressive 19.51 seconds. But he also knows what losing means. And so,

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