BORDERS athlete Chris O'Hare admitted the wait was worth it as he finally reached the podium again.
The 28-year-old finished second in the 3,000 metres at the European Indoor Championships.
Despite a distinguished career with several Scottish records, major medals have been hard to come by for the middle-distance runner since earning bronze at the European Indoors in 2015.
And it took a brave surge on the final straight in Glasgow on Saturday to split Norway's Ingebrigtsen brothers and claim second spot.
Eighteen-year-old Jakob Ingebrigtsen had too much power in the last couple of laps to be caught as he surged to gold in 7:56.15, with elder sibling Henrik taking bronze.
O'Hare said: "With Jakob in races now it feels like there's only two medals left.
"The guy is incredible, so I am happy to split up the Ingebrigtsens and it is good just to be back on the medal podium.
"It has been four years if not more since I have been on a podium and it has been a hell of a four years.
"I wouldn't change it, it has made me the person I am. And hopefully this is another step forward. I definitely got there on crowd power."
Britain team captain Guy Learmonth, from Berwickshire, couldn't make it a second medal for the Borders after disaster struck in his semi-final of the 800 metres.
The 26-year-old was sporting a bandaged hand after punching the track at the Muller Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham two weeks ago.
And there was more pain in store as he took a tumble following a collision with Ireland's Mark English two laps from home on Saturday and was later officially disqualified.
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