Butchart feels unlucky to miss out on medal after busy track season

Bullish Andrew Butchart believes his gruelling track season was worthy of a medal after suffering another near-miss in Munich. The Stirling star finished ninth in Tuesday's 5000m at the multi-sport European Championships after being unable to translate his searing start into long-awaited silverware. Ad Butchart, 30, came flying out of the traps to exploit an early gap but was reeled in by world champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen with the finish line looming, who set a punishing final pace to grab more major glory.

AthleticsMunich crowd spurs Sawyers onto European Championship final3 HOURS AGO The Scot finished ninth in the World Championship 5000m and seventh in the Commonwealth Games 10,000m but says a draining trio of championships warranted more. Butchart, who crossed the line in 13:31.47 to finish 10 seconds behind Ingebrigtsen in Germany, said: «I wanted to come away with a medal this year. »I feel like I almost deserve a medal.

«But obviously not – I need to work a bit harder and then a medal will come. »And when it does, I'll be very happy to get it. «Mentally and physically it's been hard – a lot of travel, I've not been home too much so it will be nice to enjoy the next few weeks, do some road races, something a bit different and have a different mindset, which is nice.

»I have to be happy so far with the track – that's me finished with the track, last track race of the year.†Butchart was one of the early pacesetters at Munich's 1972 Olympic Stadium and looked comfortable for the majority of the contest. But dangerous Norwegian Ingebrigtsen, 21, was always poised to pounce and made his move with a mile remaining to scorch into the lead. Spanish star Mohamed Katir ran a season's best time for second while