Australian sprint sensation Torrie Lewis has narrowly missed out on advancing directly to the 200m semi-finals despite setting a new personal best in her Olympic debut.
The 19-year-old, running out of lane nine in the first heat, finished fourth in a career-best 22.89 — just one tenth shy of an automatic berth in the next round.
Saint Lucia’s Julian Alfred, who won 100m gold in Paris, took out a 22.41 win with French hope Gemima Joseph (22.72) and Sweden’s Julia Henriksson (22.79) also progressing.
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Lewis was all smiles afterwards and is looking ahead to the repechage round for a last shot at the semis.
“That was pretty fun. I’m happy with the PB, annoyed I didn’t get into the semi-final but I’ll be back tomorrow for the repechage,” she told Nine.
“The crowd was just so loud, it was so cool, I’ve never been in a stadium this loud. I tried to see mum at the end but I couldn’t see her.”
In a massive turn of events just moments after Lewis’s run, the race for 200m gold was flipped on its head when Jamaica’s top-ranked star Shericka Jackson withdrew from the event.
The 30-year-old, who holds the second fastest 200m sprint in history, entered the Olympics under an injury cloud.
She was adamant she would be fit to compete but come start time Jackson was spotted on the warm-up track and never entered the call room.
“And there’s Shericka Jackson, and oh my, a DNS — she will not start,” John Anderson said in commentary.
“That’s a loss for the event.”
Jackson’s withdrawal followed the dramatic late exit of fellow Jamaican legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce from the 100m event a day earlier.
It also becomes a triple blow for Jamaica after Elaine Thompson-Herah, who won gold in both 100m and 200m at Rio 2016 and Tokyo three years ago, withdrew last month having battled an Achilles injury.
Thompson-Herah, Fraser-Pryce and Jackson swept the 100m podium in Tokyo.
Fraser-Pryce, 37, won 100m gold at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 and would have remained a top contender had she not been forced to withdraw.
Meanwhile, Lewis showed off her progress in the 200m at the first opportunity.
The teenager had a decision to make on entering the 100m or 200m after becoming Australia’s fastest woman when she set a new record at the shorter distance.
But she decided to continue specialising in the 200m ahead of Paris.
Lewis made international headlines at her Diamond League debut in May when — from lane nine — she beat the great American Sha’Carri Richardson in the 200m.
The Aussie’s PB in Paris was another reminder of her potential.
“Just to give some perspective, on personal bests and season bests, she wasn’t meant to finish here. She’s lifted in this heat,” Tamsyn Manou said on Nine afterwards.
“Nineteen years of age, you’re coming into your first Olympics and you run your personal best. That’s all we can ask of Torrie Lewis.
“This is exciting. She ran so well here, so relaxed, even though she can feel the pain in the tired legs towards the end of the race. Great run.”
Fellow Australian Mia Gross will also run in the repechage round after finishing sixth in her heat with a time of 23.36 seconds.
The 23-year-old has a personal best of 22.81 seconds set in June this year.
