Matthew Hudson-Smith didn't snatch the Olympic gold he craved but claimed he won something a whole lot more valuable.
Just as Josh Kerr was chased down on the line in the 1500m final 24 hours previously, so was Hudson-Smith.
It was predicted South African Wayde van Niekerk's eight-year-old world record might be under threat and while the 400m final was searingly quick, it wasn't quite that blistering.
Quincy Hall's 43.40 second winning time was still the fourth fastest ever while Hudson-Smith clocked a 43.44 secs European record, fifth on the all-time list.
He had never run faster - he carved three tenths of a second off his personal best - but that didn't take the four hundredth of a second winning margin any easier to take.
Silver for Hudson-Smith in a European record 43.44.
— Team GB (@TeamGB) August 7, 2024
Matt puts together a brilliant performance in the men's 400m final. And he will leave Paris, an Olympic medallist 👏#Paris2024 https://t.co/rdrmfNahst pic.twitter.com/hJbcp0gmms
But, in truth, Hudson-Smith's performance is about so much more than the crude metric of gold, silver and bronze that too often defines these Games.
Last year the 29-year-old opened up on his mental health struggles, revealing he'd tried to take his own life after missing selection for the Tokyo Olympics.
The death of coach Lloyd Cowan hit him hard and the pressure of expectation weighed him down, as did a run of injuries which left him frustrated his potential was going to waste. He briefly worked in a supermarket and was considering quitting the sport to retrain as an electrician.
"Sometimes the journey is better than the result and it's been a hell of a journey," he said.
"I'm just grateful. I've got an Olympic silver medal and how many people can say that? I've been the bridesmaid a couple of times now but my time is coming. I'm just happy and grateful.
"I thought I'd cleared the field. I knew someone was going to come, I wasn't trying to ease up, I was running to the line but he got me, it happens.
"It's been crazy, I'm so grateful, I'm so happy. It's just the start, I'm healthy, my time will come."
Matthew Hudson-Smith was only just beaten to gold in the 400m!
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) August 7, 2024
He set a new European record of 43.44 seconds 🔥#Paris2024 #Olympics #BBCOlympics pic.twitter.com/9aqQ2EvjRv
Hudson-Smith arrived in Paris brimming with confidence after his world leading time at the London Athletics Meet.
He had been all business through the heats and knew he was the one to beat, as he sought to become the first British man to win the one lap showpiece since Eric Liddell, immortalised in Chariots of Fire, here in Paris a century ago.
In the past he has struggled with pacing his races but those concerns are seemingly in the past, with 50 metres to go he was clear but Hall was closing the gap with every stride.
Hudson-Smith made no excuses for his emotions as he crossed the line, finding his mum Cheryl in the crowd, he let it all out as she pulled a tissue from her pocket to dry his eyes.
"My family are here and I didn't expect that, it was a bit of a shock," he added, as footage of their tearful embrace went viral on social media.
"I hate them watching me and my parents don't really watch me because they hate it too!
"I ran it exactly the way my coach told me to. We knew it was going to come down to the last 50 metres and I thought I had it but he had an extra gear.
"I hit the gear a little bit too late, as we came up he had one step on me and that was it.I'm healthy, this is just the start and time to build. My time is going to come."
Sportsbeat 2024