Australian Daniel Golubovic has come within three seconds of winning a gold medal in the decathlon at the Commonwealth Games.
Golubovic finished with silver, and countryman Cedric Dubler nabbed bronze, after a sensational 1,500m race wrapped up the 10-event competition.
Coming into the final event sitting in third place behind Dubler and defending champion Lindon Victor, Golubovic needed to win the 1,500m by a whopping 23 seconds to claim gold.
The 28-year-old gave himself every chance, setting a furious pace for three and three-quarter lapses, but fell agonizingly short, establishing a 20.62-second gap.
Just 12 days after competing in the World Championship in Eugene, all the decathletes looked absolutely spent during the final lap, with Dubler and Victor in particular both tiring badly in the final stages.
However, both just held on to win gold and bronze respectively.
“I had a dig for that gold,” Golubovic, who finished 14th in last month’s World Championships, told Channel 7 after the race.
“But it’s cold out here [and] there was just nothing in the legs.
“Two decaths in 12 days total, 10 days rest, I don’t recommend it.”
The thrilling finale provided a fitting conclusion to what was a superb contest over two days at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.
Victor, who came fifth to Dubler’s eighth in Eugene, led at the halfway stage from Dubler.
The pair alternated the lead throughout the second day, with the Aussie’s superior sprint hurling and pole vault countered by the Grenadian’s discus and javelin prowess.
Golubovic was always there or thereabouts though, steadily improving his position from fifth at the end of day one before leaping into medal contention on day two.
“I think it just comes down to consistency,” Golubovic said, before paying tribute to the Australian backroom team.
“It’s been a wild few years and it’s a long, long process to get here but, oh man, it feels so good to be on this stage right now.”
Fellow Aussie Alec Diamond finished in fifth spot overall.
Australia’s Olympic bronze medalist, Ash Moloney, missed the Games through illness.
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