'More in the tank' - Matthew Hudson-Smith looks to create 'history and rivalries' after Paris Olympics 400m silver

With time to digest the disappointment of narrowly missing out on 400m Olympic gold in Paris, Matthew Hudson-Smith said he was not surprised by his blistering 43:44 pace, but was shocked that the time did not see him win the race. Quincy Hall produced a stunning comeback to win the race in Paris. Meanwhile, Daryll Neita said she was "really proud" of her performances in Paris.

Team GB's Hudson-Smith 'grateful' after 'crazy journey' to Olympic silver

Video credit: TNT Sports

Matthew Hudson-Smith said he "never thought" the 43:44 time he posted in the men's 400m final at the Olympic Games would see him land a silver medal, after he was dramatically beaten over the finish line by USA's Quincy Hall.

The Team GB athlete, talking ahead of the Lausanne Diamond League, spoke candidly two weeks on from the exhilarating race, admitting he was not shocked by his blistering pace - but he was surprised it did not land him a maiden individual Olympic gold medal.

Hudson-Smith looked to be in pole position to win the race at the Stade de France, but Hall emerged from fourth-place at the start of the final 100m to race past the front-three and secure the gold medal in stunning style - 0.04s quicker than the Team GB runner.

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Hudson-Smith told reporters on Wednesday: "I think after London Diamond League I started to slow down, because the idea of going into London, my coach was like 'show them a little bit but don't show them a lot', like a tester.

"We weren't surprised [about the time] because, you know, when we did our training session it kind of indicated the shape we were in, but it was a surprise how easy it was, and we did the splits, and we were like 'we know where we can improve on'.

"The time itself wasn't a surprise. Again, there are still areas we are looking to develop for the future and that's the exciting part, but I never thought in my career that 43:44 would come second to be honest.

"I did keep saying if someone's going to win it they're going to have to take it from me and Quincy took it literally. But it's just the standard now. It's amazing to be a part of."

The memorable final highlighted the immense quality and competitiveness within the 400m event, with the top five all finishing within 0.47s of each other.

Watch dramatic finish to 400m final as Hall pips GB's Hudson-Smith to gold

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And Hudson-Smith was keen to point out the exciting future of the race - with the likes of Hall and Zambia's Muzala Samukonga competing at a comparable level.

"You know this event has great history and great rivalries, and we're the next generation - we're looking to basically create our own history and rivalries," he said.

"Myself and Quincy, maybe Samukonga, there's other athletes as well who are in the forefront like Michael Norman, Steven Gardiner, Wayde [van Niekerk] if he does come back. There's so many athletes, so the 400m for me personally is a premier event.

"But the surprise at the 43:44? No there was no surprise. I think there's a lot more in the tank, so we'll see how it goes."

Hudson-Smith and Hall are set to face-off again in the 400m event at the Diamond League on Thursday.

Neita 'proud' and taking 'confidence' from olympic performances

Team GB 100m and 200m specialist Daryll Neita has had time to come to terms with the "disappointment" of narrowly missing out on an individual Olympic medal, but reiterated her pride after several strong performances on the track.

Neita finished 0.03s behind Brittany Brown - who claimed bronze - in the women's 200m final, while also missing out on a podium finish in the 100m by just 0.04.

The 27-year-old stood out in the heats with some stunning runs, and was rewarded with a silver medal in the women's 4x100m relay, despite Team GB looking good for gold until a poor baton handover.

"Straight away, I think in my interview I was pretty disappointed," Neita said. "I think because I felt like I'd come so close and to be so close to that podium twice, it's kind of bittersweet because I feel like I achieved greatness by getting that close, but also an individual medal would just be amazing.

'I'll be a medallist one day' - GB's Neita reacts to another near-miss in 200m

Video credit: TNT Sports

"But upon reflection, I'm honestly really proud of how I performed at the Olympic Games. I think I really stepped up every round, gave everything. I left nothing to chance and I left no stone unturned, so it actually gives me a lot of confidence going forward, and I think I've just got all eyes on the next championships.

"But I'm excited for the rest of the season and I'm honestly just really proud of my achievements, but I'm hungry for more."

Neita will compete in the 100m at the Diamond League, alongside Team GB's Dina Asher-Smith, who was 0.01s quicker than Neita in the 200m final at the Olympics.

tebogo 'changed a lot of lives' with 200m gold

Letsile Tebogo stood out as one of the Olympics' best storylines after he delivered a scintillating performance in the men's 200m to take home gold for Botswana - the country's first-ever Olympic gold.

The 21-year-old eased past favourite Noah Lyles and second-placed Kenny Bednarek to secure a comfortable victory, and upon his return home he was greeted by tens of thousands of supporters.

Botswana's president declared a half-day holiday as locals packed out the National Stadium to welcome their athletes home.

"The support was really amazing to see," Tebogo said. "Thirty-thousand people at the stadium along the roads coming back home.

Watch as Tebogo causes big upset to claim 200m gold ahead of Lyles

Video credit: TNT Sports

"I believe my life has changed, and I've changed a lot of lives in my home country. It's something that I've been looking forward to and not just my country, also for the African continent, because I've shown them against all odds everything is possible."

Tebogo will be back in action for the Diamond League in Lausanne as he returns to 200m action.

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