Gillick fifth as Belgian takes gold in 400m
Friday, 30 July 2010 22:37Watch David Gillick's post-race interview with RTÉ Sport.
There was disappointment for David Gillick in the final of the men's 400m at the Europan Championships as he finished fifth behind Kevin Borlée of Belgium, who won gold with a late burst.
In the end, no runner broke 45 seconds with the winner coming home in a time of 45.08. Britain taking home silver and bronze respectively in the shape of Michael Bingham and Martyn Rooney.
Gillick's time was 45.28, considerably slower than his best time of 44.71, which he set in the semi-final here.
The Irish athlete went out hard over the first 300m as Leslie Djhone of France set a furious pace outside him. Jonathan Borlée, twin brother of the gold medal winner, also got caught up in the middle lane battle for position.
All three paid the price in the home straight, as Bingham and Rooney came from the outside lanes.
But Kevin Borlée finished best of all; he alone of those in the middle lanes saved a bit for the final 50m.
Ultimately, that proved decisive as the leaders, including Gillick, tied up and it will be small consolation for Gillick that he did eventually overhaul and finish in front of Djhone.
Speaking to RTÉ after the race, Gillick, who had looked so impressive in the previous two rounds, said: 'I absolutely gutted that was my race, my chance to get on the podium, all the sort of stuff.
'It was an absolute mess of a race, I never got into a rhythm, I was maybe a fraction sluggish out of the blocks, was a little bit all over the place coming round the bend.
'Everyone was together, it was so close. Maybe if I had five more metres I might have just nipped in, I was 0.05s away from a medal but within that there were, I think, five other guys. It's a 400m not 405m.
'I'm getting frustrated now. I've been so close...so close. You put so much in I just don't see that I got any of it back there for myself tonight.'
