Kirsty Gilmour says taking pressure off resulted in Euro silver win

Kirsty Gilmour says taking a step back and some pressure off resulted in a fourth European Championship silver medal of her career.

And the Bothwell 30-year-old says it resulted in her playing some of the best badminton of her career at the competition in Saarbrucken, Germany, as she took her fifth career medal from the Euros.

Gilmour lost to a familiar foe in Spain’s Carolina Marin, but was pleased with her overall performances.

She said: “It was a really good, solid week to be honest.

“I think I’ve played some of my best badminton this week.

“I know it looks like another silver medal, but this has got to be up there with one of my most satisfying medals, in terms of back-to-back performances, and I think I had Carolina worried for a bit in the final.

“I think that has been some of my best badminton.

“We spoke after the final about how disappointed we are, but also we need to be so confident after this week.”

On her preparation for the tournament, Gilmour said: “Everything got on top of me last week, I didn’t prepare for this tournament how I normally would.

“I literally just took the foot off the gas, played some fun games in the last few days before I left Scotland for Germany, and even when we arrived, it wasn’t about getting the head down, it was easing into it, not taking it too seriously.

“I think this week I’ve been so unafraid to lose, there’s a nice freedom to my game, and it put me in the right frame of mind.

“I haven’t been putting too much pressure on myself on purpose, but it just kind of builds to that point. You have certain expectations of yourself.

“It just becomes like you’re on the hamster wheel, everything’s so serious all the time.

“Even though there was a major intercontinental championship coming