Il Nuovo Postiglione - Australian teen Gout hungry for more after worlds exit

The 17-year-old has been compared to Usain Bolt for his prodigious ability but it was not enough to take him into the final in Tokyo as he finished fourth in his race in 20.36sec.

Gout will now head home to Australia to sit his high school exams but vowed to return to athletics' big stage, telling reporters that the experience was "fuel to my fire".

"It definitely makes you hungry for sure, knowing that I'm just a kid right now but I can still compete," he said.

"The thing I have on them (his rivals) is I've got time -- they may not have 15 years but I've got 15 years for sure.

"I know that if I can do this at 17, I can do this at 25 as well, and I'll be even better at 25."

Gout faced Botswana's Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo and Jamaica's Bryan Levell in his semi-final.

The young Australian did not get off to a great start and was far behind his more experienced rivals when he hit the curve.

But he finished strongly over the final straight, picking off Canada's Jerome Blake to finish behind Levell, Tebogo and American Courtney Lindsey.

"My whole mindset was getting out hard and sticking with them and trying to pedal down the home straight," said Gout.

"I definitely think I did that pretty well and just go out there, did my thing of course, ran that bit hard and then came home."

- 'Locked in' -

Gout was born to South Sudanese parents who fled the war-torn country via Egypt and arrived in Australia in 2006.

He ran 20.04sec at last year's Australian All Schools Athletics Championship, only the second athlete to record a time faster than Bolt's Under-18 best of 20.13sec.

Bolt, an 11-time world champion and eight-time Olympic gold medallist, was in Tokyo to witness Gout's senior international debut.

"I haven't had a chance to speak to him, obviously trying to be locked in and stuff, but I know he's probably watching and he's probably keeping an eye out," said Gout.

Gout's presence in Tokyo has attracted huge media attention and a large group of reporters was waiting to speak to him after the semi-final.

"It's definitely confidence for sure, to know that all these people want to hear what I want to say," he said.

"I'm just going to use that as fuel to my fire."

Gout has a personal best of 20.02sec this season and he acknowledged that dipping under the 20-second barrier -- the mark of world-class 200m sprinting -- was the aim in Tokyo.

He failed to achieve that but he predicted it would be a matter of time.

"I didn't do it today but I know that wasn't in God's plan today," he said.

"I know that I will do it in the future and it's about executing the race plan and doing it at a good meet.

"I know that it's going to come and I just can't wait for that."

M.Vacanti--INP