New Zealand wrestler Sam Belkin was left ruing his youth after placing fifth in the Commonwealth Games 96kg Greco Roman competition yesterday.
At 22, Belkin is considerably younger than most of the sport's best and he reckoned that was why he lost two of his three fights yesterday.
In a topsy-turvy outing for New Zealand's first wrestler in action at the Games, Belkin received a first round bye before losing 3-1 to Australian Hassene Fkiri, a fight he believed was within him to win.
That ruled him out of gold medal contention but under wrestling's repechage rule, he was handed a second life and proceeded to thrash Teibana Mase of the Solomon Islands 8-0.
Victory over Canadian Eric Feunekes would have handed Belkin a place in the bronze medal fight but he lost by pinfall in the most frustrating result of the day.
The Canterbury University student lifted his rival into the air and was ready for a potential winning throw before disaster struck.
"I had him locked, I had him everything but he just slipped out," Belkin told NZPA.
"The momentum was with me and I was the one who lost it. I should have done a proper throw but my technique lapsed."
The powerful Belkin was convinced such slips would happen less as his career developed.
He would finish off when in control and would learn how to repel taller opponents such as Fkiri.
The 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero are the goal for the ambitious grappler rather than London four years earlier.
He is keen to repeat - and lengthen - the sort of six-week training camp he underwent in Russia leading into these Games. A shoulder injury there hampered his progress.
"In New Zealand I have one or two training partners in Christchurch. In Russia there was a club of 400 people, training with a different person each day is great."
The ancient sport of Greco Roman wrestling dates back to the first modern Olympics and forbids holds below the waist, putting an emphasis on upper body strength.