Schoolboy sprint sensation Gout Gout has kept his cool on his first serious outing against the big names, easing into the semi-finals of the men’s 200 metres  at the world championships.

The 17-year-old made a slowish start in his heat in Tokyo on Wednesday night but found his rhythm in the straight to finish third in 20.23 seconds.

Gout will probably need to dip under the 20-second barrier — something no Australian has done before — if he’s to advance to Friday’s final.

But the good news is he’s confident there’s plenty more to give.

Jamaican Bryan Levell won Gout’s heat in the quickest overall qualifying time of 19.84. Big guns Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek and reigning Olympic champ Letsile Tebogo from Botswana also got through with ease.

“I just felt that in my heat everyone wasn’t up against me, apart from the top two,” Gout said.

“I just hit cruise control, in the last 50, last 30. That’s what I needed.

“Obviously there’s going to be expectation wherever I go.

“It is what it is and I just go out there and do my thing.”

High on the agenda for Gout and his coach Di Sheppard in the next 24 hours will be doing some work on his start.

“The starts obviously are not my strong suit. But as soon as I get into running, I’m chilling,” he said.

Overall, it was a successful debut outing at Tokyo’s National Stadium, with the legendary Usain Bolt watching on from the stands.

“It’s great to be out here competing on the world stage,” said Gout, whose junior exploits have already drawn comparisons to Bolt.

“I’m just happy, happy to be here, and can’t wait for the semi.

“It’s great experience, running against the big dogs and I’m just excited for more.”

Gout is the youngest man in the 200-metre field in Tokyo and the youngest man to be selected in an Australian team at a world athletics championships.

Earlier this year, he set the Australian record of 20.02.

Elsewhere, Australians Calab Law and Aidan Murphy were eliminated.

In the women’s 200 metres, Torrie Lewis (22.56) stripped 0.13 off her personal best, finishing second in the last of six heats to power into the semis on Thursday.

Earlier in the championships, the 20-year-old Queenslander broke her own Australian 100-metre record with a time of 11.08 in the opening round, but was bitterly disappointed at then being eliminated in the semis.

Countrywomen Mia Gross and Kristie Edwards were run out in the women’s 200-metre heats.

Anavia Battle topped the qualifying sheets with 22.07 ahead of fellow American and 100-metre gold medallist Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (22.24), who is chasing the sprint double in Tokyo.

Sydneysider Cameron McEntyre hurled a career-best 83.03 metres, a record throw by an Australian man at a world championships, to qualify for the 12-man javelin final in 11th place.

“It’s been a long time coming, a throw like that, and I’m just so happy I could do it tonight,” the delighted 26-year-old McEntyre, who is coached by his brother Angus, said.

Australian Connor Murphy (16.58m) was 16th overall in men’s triple jump qualifying, with only the top 14 advancing.

-AAP