Phil Healy says she has no regrets about missing out on a medal at the recent European Indoor Championships, despite finishing just 0.21 seconds off third place.
The Cork sprinter came home in fourth in the 400m final, having won both her heat and semi final, before setting a new personal best of 51.94 seconds in the final.
Speaking on OTB AM this morning, Ireland's fastest woman says the fact that she ran her quickest time ever in a major championship final is more than enough consolation, adding she knows there was nothing more she could have done.
"I'm delighted to finish fourth, I know some people would be disappointed to be so close to the medals but I gave it everything and I walked off that track knowing I gave it everything and I ran the quickest time that I ever ran in my third race in 36 hours, so I couldn't be happier with fourth," she said.
Ireland's team returned from Torun without a medal this year, but Healy says success has to be measured off the previous performances of athletes, with a number of Irish competitors setting national and personal records at the championships.
"In Ireland a lot of the time success is measured on if you bring a medal home or not. Some people out there in our team did their best and made a semi final and that's like a medal to them.
"There was nothing more that I could do, I produced the quickest time of my life in a championship final, which is not always necessarily going to happen. That, as I said, fourth is a medal for me and I'm looking forward to taking it on into the summer," she added.
Phil Healy | 'So many takeaways'
And by finishing so close to a podium in a stacked field, the Ballineen bullet says she has gained confidence she can compete with the very best in the world.
"There was only .2 in it between 4th and 3rd, so it's still that little bit that will drive me on to be in the medals and on the podium next time.
"There's so many takeaways from it, with arriving on that scene, being in contention with all these world class athletes, but falling that little bit short will drive me on for the next championship," she added.
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
