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Luxolo Adams is inspired by the achievements of fellow South African Wayde van Niekerk, but wants to write his own history in the 200m.
The 25-year-old finished fourth in the second heat of the men's semi-finals and had to endure a torturous wait to find out if he had made his first World Athletics Championships final in Eugene.
He was tense as he watched the third and final heat on a screen in the media mixed zone, where he breathed a sigh of relief on finding out he had qualified as a fastest loser in a time of 20.09 seconds.
"That was such a difficult wait. I didn't know if I should sit, stand, or pray. A slot in the final means the world to me," an elated Adams told BBC Sport Africa.
Adams started off as a 400m in runner in 2015 before incorporating the 200m race into his programme.
He won the South African national title over the shorter distance in 2018 and later the same year picked up a bronze medal at the African Championships in Asaba, Nigeria, clinching his only podium at a major championships.
He was relatively unknown outside of his homeland until last month, when he surprisingly upset the Olympic champion Andre de Grasse to win the Paris Diamond League in a huge personal time of 19.82s - the second-fastest time by a South African athlete.
"I changed coaches, and we had a different approach," Adams explained.
"I was doing more of a 400m-based programme, and then we switched to a speedy 200m program. That's when I started to become injury free and things changed."
Adams handed reigning Olympic champion Andre de Grasse a shock defeat in the 200m in Paris last month
In Paris Adams was able to dip under 20 seconds to arrive at the World Championships as the fifth fastest man in the world over 200m this season.
"Going to Paris, we had no no idea what was going to happen, but we had plans to probably get close to 20 seconds ahead of the World Championships," he said.
"Things happened a bit faster than we expected."
His compatriot Van Niekerk became only the second African man to stand on the 200m World Championships podium when he won a silver medal in 2017 in London.
"He's a great athlete, I'm looking up to him and thanks to him for being a motivation," Adams said.
"But I don't want to say I am following his footsteps because I am a designer of my own life, I want to write my own history without having to copy someone else.
"I want to just focus on my own race and I know anything is possible in the final if I execute my race well.
"No-one is watching me but I like to be an underdog. Even this year, no-one was expecting me to go under 20 but here I am, I can just come out of anywhere in the final."
Kenya's Timothy Cheruiyot could not defend his world 1500m title in Oregon, finishing sixth
Another African making his World Championships debut will take up a lane in the 200m final, with Joseph Fahnbulleh hoping to replicate his blazing form this season as he dreams of a historic achievement for Liberia.
Fahnbulleh came into Eugene flying high after an incredible dominance in the NCAA Championships, where he won the 100m race and the 200m race in 19.84, a time that is sixth fastest this season.
The 20-year-old stormed into the final, finishing second in his heat for an automatic qualification, but says he needs to cope with performing under pressure.
"My aim was to win the heat so I can get a good lane," he said.
"My first step wasn't good. I am still trying to get out of that race anxiety. It's not too bad but I need to replicate what I do out there over here on the big stage.
"I will approach the final super plugged in. I will give it my all."
African 200m champion Aminatou Seyni of Niger qualified for the women's 200m final, finishing second in her heat behind Jamaica's Shericka Jackson.
"It's the first time that I qualify for the final of a World Championship," Seyni said.
"I've been waiting for that for a long time. I will give it all for the final, to get a medal."
In the only final that an African athlete contested on day five in Eugene, Kenya's Timothy Cheruiyot fell shot of defending his 1500m title despite looking like a medal contender on the final stretch.
He recorded his season-best time of three minutes 30.69 as he finished sixth in a race won by Britain's Jake Wightman in a world-leading time of 3:29.23.
"Today's race was well planned but unfortunately at the 100m mark my legs were tired so I couldn't make it to the podium," Cheruiyot said.
"I have struggled with a hamstring injury picked at training in March. I am grateful I got to the final."
Cheruiyot will now shift his attention to the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
