The 28-year-old arrived in Scotland as one of the favourites for gold following a superb season on the international circuit. His blistering 43.89-second victory in Paris at the end of June had elevated him to third on the world rankings, with the two athletes above him absent from the Commonwealth Games.

Despite those credentials, Nene admitted things never quite fell into place in Glasgow.

He crossed the finish line in 45.21 seconds to claim bronze behind Nigeria's Samuel Ogazi, who stormed to gold in 44.25 seconds, while Trinidad and Tobago's Jereem Richards secured silver in 44.82 seconds.

Rather than celebrating the podium finish, Nene was left reflecting on missed opportunities.

“It wasn't meant to be,” he admitted afterwards.

The South African believes his campaign was disrupted after receiving a bye through the opening round as one of the top-ranked athletes. Instead of building rhythm through the heats, he went straight into the semi-finals where a below-par performance saw him finish third in his race, forcing him to qualify for the final as one of the fastest losers.

Looking back, Nene accepted responsibility for putting himself under unnecessary pressure.

“I didn't quite show up in the semi-final and that put me in a difficult position,” he said. “I had to change my mindset and tell myself I wasn't leaving without a medal.”

Zakithi Nene  - TeamSA

His determination paid off as he produced a far stronger display in the final. Nene started well and controlled the opening half of the race before increasing the pace around the final bend. Although he entered the home straight in contention, he was unable to match the finishing speed of Ogazi and Richards.

He revealed that his focus in the final shifted from chasing a fast time to simply ensuring South Africa collected another medal.

“I came here wanting gold, but I had to fight for something after the way the competition started.”

Nene also pointed to the unusual scheduling of the final, which was held at midday rather than the evening, as another factor he had to adapt to.

Kyle Rademeyer - TeamSA

“I'm used to racing at night, so a noon final changes everything about how you prepare.”

While disappointed, the bronze medal still contributed to Team South Africa's growing medal haul and Nene has already shifted his attention to September's inaugural Ultimate Championship in Budapest, where he hopes to return to his best form.

Another South African athlete celebrating a podium finish was promising pole vaulter Kyle Rademeyer.

The 24-year-old produced one of the finest performances of his career to claim bronze after clearing 5.70 metres in difficult, windy conditions. Although he was unable to negotiate 5.80m, his effort secured another valuable medal for Team SA.

Kyle Rademeyer - TeamSA

Australia's Kurtis Marschall claimed gold as the Australians continued their dominant campaign, strengthening their position at the top of the medals table.

There was heartbreak, however, for South Africa's men's 4x100m relay team. After producing the fastest performance in the morning semi-finals to establish themselves as gold medal favourites, Mvuyo Moss, Cheswill Johnson, Bradley Nkoana and veteran anchor Akani Simbine were unable to reproduce that form in the evening final.

Untidy baton exchanges left the quartet struggling to stay with the leaders and, although Simbine crossed the line in fifth place, South Africa's hopes were dashed when the team was disqualified after the race.

Australia claimed the relay gold in 38.07 seconds, while Canada claimed the silver, and Nigeria rounded of the podium following a season’s best 38.12.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport