When the greatest prizes are decided by mere fractions, perspective is everything.
Matthew Hudson-Smith understands this as well as anyone.
Three years ago, during the last Olympics, the Briton couldn’t have imagined reaching the Olympic podium at Paris 2024.
At his lowest moment, he couldn’t see a way forward at all.
Despite all the challenges life has thrown at him, the 29-year-old came incredibly close to a golden triumph at the Stade de France.
On Wednesday, he was beaten to the line by American Quincy Hall by just four-hundredths of a second, 12 months after a margin of 0.09 seconds separated him from Jamaican gold medallist Antonio Watson at the World Championships.
Hudson-Smith led until the final strides of a thrilling men’s 400m final, setting a European record as five athletes ran under 44 seconds in the same race for the first time in history.
A complicated mixture of emotions struck an emotional Hudson-Smith, who remained fixated on winning gold but ultimately did not let the bigger picture go unnoticed.
“Sometimes, the journey is better than the outcome,” he told BBC Sport.
“It has been one hell of a journey and I am just grateful.”
It has been 10 years since Hudson-Smith’s life took a dramatic turn.
Once an academy footballer at Wolves and later working at a supermarket, he received a late call-up to the 2014 Glasgow Diamond League. He seized the opportunity, running under 45 seconds for the first time.
He went on to win European silver at the age of 19 and, determined to maximize his potential, made a significant change in 2017 by relocating his training to Florida. There, he temporarily lived with US sprint star Noah Lyles.
This move came after finishing last in the final of his Olympic debut in Rio, a remarkable achievement given he had recovered from several stress fractures to make the team.
A year later, he won his first individual international title at the European Championships, but his promising trajectory was abruptly halted.
A series of physical issues led him to accrue substantial debt due to medical costs and a loss of sponsors, before injury ended his hopes of competing at the Tokyo Olympics.
These events coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic, and Hudson-Smith struggled with his mental health through three years of “absolute hell” as he remained isolated from his family in the United States.
It was not until the 2022 World Championships, overcome with emotion after claiming his first individual global medal, that he revealed the true depths of his darkest days.
At his lowest point, Hudson-Smith attempted suicide.
Speaking after winning his Olympic silver, Hudson-Smith said, “I saw everyone in the crowd, they were all proud.”
“They know what I have been through. They know that it has been a rough journey.
“Incredible highs and deep, deep lows.”
Hudson-Smith has undeniably backed up his 2022 claim that world bronze was “just the beginning.”
However, he has still faced setbacks.
His 2023 season was marred by Achilles tendonitis, to the point that he was taken off the track in a wheelchair at the London Diamond League just a month before last year’s World Championships.
Through a combination of guts, determination, and undeniable talent, Hudson-Smith, no stranger to pushing through pain, managed to upgrade to silver in Budapest.
Despite his limited preparations, he remained unsatisfied, with his eyes firmly set on Olympic gold.
The signs had been extremely promising all year. He set a European record in May, improving it to 43.74 seconds in London just six days before the opening ceremony in Paris.
His formidable form was evident throughout the rounds, and in the final, he became the fifth-fastest 400m runner in history, clocking 43.44.
However, running within 0.41 seconds of Wayde Van Niekerk’s world record was still not enough.
Former Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu, whom Hudson-Smith has described as his “guardian angel,” said on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Matthew Hudson-Smith did nothing wrong; Quincy Hall ran beautifully. He came like a steam train.”
“Silver medal, European record, brilliant time. These are not slow times. I know Hudson-Smith will feel disappointed but I hope he will take heart from the fact that he worked it right to the line, he gave it everything he could.
“It was a good race, it’s just how it ended up today. What a result to go home with.”
Hell-bent on achieving gold in Paris, Hudson-Smith has become meticulous in his preparations, while crucially managing to remain injury-free.
That has included more gym work and, as he revealed after his record-breaking London Diamond League run last month, even eating salads.
Evidently it has worked. He has shaved close to a second off his personal best this year as he continues to build towards a global crowning moment.
“I said that if you are going to take it from me, you are going to have to really take it from me, and that is exactly what he did,” Hudson-Smith said.
“It’s sport. It’s a crazy one. They [the crowd] know what is to come. The world does as well.
“I will keep building on this. I want to shock the world.
“It’s a matter of time.”
In Budapest 12 months ago, Hudson-Smith crouched on the track in a moment of contemplation. In Paris, he yelled at the big screen.
But once the immediate disappointment faded, his attention turned to more important matters, sharing an emotional embrace with family members by the track after completing a remarkable turnaround in both his career and life.
And still, a golden vow remains.
“This is just the start and I know there is a bigger time in there,” said Hudson-Smith.
“This is the healthiest I have been going into a championship and I almost got it.
“When it clicks, it is going to be special.
“It didn’t come at this Olympics but [give me] another four years.”