Channelling the great Craig Mottram, little-known Australian Ky Robinson has gone within a whisker of claiming a shock medal in the men's 5000m at the world championships.

The US-based Queenslander, who did not even qualify for last year's Paris Olympics, flew home for fourth in 12 minutes 59.61 seconds, less than three tenths of a second behind French bronze medallist and 10,000m world champ Jimmy Gressier.

The gold went to Olympic 1500m champ Cole Hocker, from the US, in 12:58.30, a week after he was disqualified from the metric mile in Tokyo.

"Instantly when you get over the line, it's just sheer joy, sheer happiness," said the 23-year-old Robinson, who attends Stanford University in California.

"And a minute later the 'what-ifs' start kicking in, and it's like 'man, I'm one spot of

See Full Page