Sarah Lavin ran a season's best time but narrowly missed out on a medal after a fourth-place finish in the women's 60m hurdles final at the European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn.
The Limerick AC athlete came into Friday night's final in excellent form, initially impressing with a season's best 7.93 in Thursday's first-round heat on Dutch soil.
She served further notice of her medal intentions in Friday morning's semi-finals with a 7.94 to book her place among the eight qualifiers for the final.
Starting in lane six for the medal race, Lavin managed to go even better than Thursday's time as she ran a new season's best of 7.92.
But it wasn't enough to make it into the medal places as Ditaji Kambundji of Switzerland took gold in a championship record 7.67 ahead of Netherland's Nadine Visser (silver, 7.72) and Polish athlete Pia Skrzyszowska, who also ran a season's best 7.83 to take home bronze.
For Lavin, it was a day of mixed emotions having come so close to a medal.
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Lamenting the start to the race and the approach to the first hurdle, Lavin suggested that a near-perfect would have been required in a field of the continent's leading exponents over the distance.
"That's the bottom line. You can't physically do that because I'm competing with the best girls ever that had been in Europe," said Ireland's joint flagbearer for the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony.
"I still have World Indoors in two weeks' time in China but like at the same time seventh, sixth, fifth, fourth (at major championships)... I have to get my first hurdle right.
"My reaction was good consistently all weekend but it's what I'm actually doing. It's not like a strength or a power deficit but it's the actual way I'm using my strength and power."
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Turning to the World Indoors which will take place in Nanjing, China later this month, Lavin said she could take confidence from the Europeans and would take consolation from the backing of her support base.
"At the same time considering where I was two weeks ago, credit genuinely to so many people that are in my circle. They are so incredible and I'm so lucky that I have so much love in my life," she said.
"That sounds so deep but that's honestly the thing that matters most. I promise I will look back in a few days and be a bit more measured about it.
"I'm fourth in Europe. It's not the end of the world in the fastest European race ever. Last year I was in the fastest world final ever. I just need to raise my own standards and we'll find a way."
