It was third time unlucky for Richard Kilty at the European Athletics Indoor Championships.On a quest to defend the 60 metre title he won in Prague and Belgrade respectively, the Teeside runner was forced to settle for fourth place and was gutted to miss out on gold in Glasgow.Such is the elite mentality of Kilty that - despite having recently recovered from an Achilles injury - he considered his final position no different to the silver medal.Speaking to GiveMeSport just moments after the final, he reflected: "For me, fourth is the same as the silver medal to be honest. I came here to win it and that's the only thing on my mind."I'm just gutted I haven't been able to win. When the gun went, I was just a little bit sloppy all the way through but I really don't know."

Fourth place for Kilty

Kilty was visibly dejected with the result and it was clearly tough for him to see Jan Volko - who took the silver medal in 2017 - assuming the title he'd held for almost half a decade.

Emre Zafer Barnes of Turkey and the Netherlands' Joris van Gool grabbed the remaining podium places, but even usurping the preliminary medalists wouldn't have satisfied Kilty.

However, considering the 29-year-old was inexplicably left out of Britain's original squad, he still vindicated European Athletics' decision to invite the reigning champion.

'I come here to win gold medals'

As far as the man himself was concerned, though, the only true justification would have been gold.

"I don't come here for fourth places, I come here to win gold medals and a silver is always a failure for me," Kilty mused in the mixed zone.

"People may think that I've justified myself. Personally I don't, but I guess fourth place is a lot higher than a lot of people finished in the team.

"I don't know, it's a tough sport and it's one of them things. It's just a bitter taste being defeated at home and especially losing the title, but at least I was in a position to go there and defend it."

The coming weeks will give Kilty the opportunity to rebuild and plan ahead for the outdoor season, something he views as a progressive transition. 

Promise elsewhere in the 60m

Looking forward, he explained: "Today gives me a lot of motivation and hunger but I'm going to take a week off, chill out and see where the summer takes me.

"I've got a lot training left in me, so I'll get better month by month. I'm just gutted, it's been a rough ride."

Just one-hundredths of a second behind Kilty was his compatriot Ojie Edoburun, who made a real statement in front of the Glasgow crowd and there was further success in the women's race.

Asha Philip couldn't retain the title she won in Belgrade but was still ecstatic with the bronze medal, finishing behind an omnipotent Ewa Swoboda as well as Dafne Schippers. 

Meanwhile, the brilliant Kristal Awuah came millimetres away from securing her own place on the podium.

It may not have been double-gold in the 60 metres as it had been two years ago, but British sprinters remain at the forefront of athletics' most explosive event.

And whether Kilty will admit it himself, he raised two fingers to any suggestion he wasn't good enough to compete in Glasgow.

Who was your star performer from day two at the European Indoors? Have your say in the comments section below.