European Games: Kirsty Gilmour's final loss 'tough to take'
- Published
Mia Blichfeldt improved on last year's bronze to win her first European title
Kirsty Gilmour says her third European silver medal "hurts a little bit more" than the first two after losing her final to Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt.
The Scot came from a set down to beat another Dane, top seed Line Hoemark Kjaersfeldt, in the semi-final.
But she was always behind the 21-year-old, who improved on last year's bronze with a dominant 21-16 21-17 victory.
"I'll maybe be happy later this evening or tomorrow on the flight home, but now it is a bit raw," Gilmour said.
"It's been a great week and just to be on the podium was a bare minimum expectation for me."
Gilmour, the 25-year-old third seed, had targeted her first gold at European level, having won silver in the 2016 and 2017 European Championships - as well as silver and bronze at the Commonwealth Games.
And she found it "a tough one to take" after failing to reach the same heights against the second seed as the previous day against last year's other bronze medallist, Kjaersfeldt.
"My highlight of the tournament would be the second and third set yesterday," Gilmour said.
"I think I recognised what my problem was and I really turned it round and I played very well in the semi yesterday and I got a lot of confidence going into the final today.
"I just couldn't snatch it away from Mia today - she played pretty well."
Kirsty Gilmour had beaten the top seed in the semi-finals