Tokyo Olympics: Australian Olympian pack the stands to cheer on Peter Bol in 800 final

Australia’s new hero of the track had no shortage of supporters when he lined up for the race of life at the Tokyo Olympics.

Peter Bol led the field halfway through the 800m men’s final before he faded in the final 60m to finish fourth, one place out of the medals.

With his close-knit family and friends stuck home in Perth, Australian athletes ensured Bol had a crowd behind him in an heartwarming display of support.

There was no missing the cheer squad at Tokyo Stadium on Wednesday night, all donning the Australian gold and green uniform and holding banners for Bol.  

Australian track and field athletes (pictured) rallied together to form a large cheer squad for 800m finalist Peter Bol 

Among them were 200m semi-finalist Riley Day, hurdler Nicholas Hough, runners Steve Solomon and Jeff Riseley, 1500m finalist Linden Hall and steeplechasers Georgia Wincup and Amy Cashin.

Bol shared a heartwarming photo by middle-distance runner Georgia Griffith showing the masked-up crew holding signs with bad puns in the stands.

‘Australia, thank you,’ he tweeted.

Bol is still coming to terms with the ‘crazy’ week he had in Tokyo as he tries to put the disappointment of being so agonising close to a medal behind him.

‘It has been unreal, the support from home and even from the village, it has all been so unreal and I’m so grateful for it,’ Bol told Sunrise on Thursday.

Bol’s race stopped the nation after becoming the first Australian man to make the 800m final since Ralph Doubell won gold at the 1968 Mexico Games.

Peter Bol  has been overwhelmed with support in recent days after making the 800m final

The cheer squad photo of the Aussies has since gone viral after it was shared by Bol

He said he enjoyed the experience in Tokyo more than Rio five years ago, despite high hopes of a medal.

‘It’s probably the calmest I felt all year and although there was so much support behind me, I never really viewed it as pressure or anything like that,’ Bol said

‘I think I raced pretty well, I just tied up and that’s pretty much it, there are no excuses on that.

‘Rio was really scary but Tokyo was so calm, I don’t know if it is the crowd or the experience and maturity behind it running at this Olympics has been so much more enjoyable than Rio was.’

Bol got a chance to speak to his proud parents Abdalla and Hanan live on air during the interview and saw his family’s wild celebrations in Perth.

‘The house look like a party without me, so I can’t wait to be back,’ he told his family.

Australian runner Peter Bol (pictured in green and gold) has come agonisingly close to capping off his remarkable fairy-tale story, coming up short in the men’s 800m final at the Tokyo Olympic Games to finish fourth