Joanna Rowsell admits she now has extra appreciation for last year’s double-winning World Championships outing after falling just short of a second medal in Paris.
Rowsell was back in action at the 2015 Track Cycling World Championships as she looked to add individual pursuit bronze to the team silver she had won 24 hours earlier.
However, there was no second trip to the podium for Rowsell as she was beaten by Amy Cure, the Australian stopping the clock at 3:32.907 minutes to win by just over three seconds.
Rowsell won gold in both events at last year’s edition in Cali but she insisted she could have no complaints this time around.
"You're never really going to be happy with fourth, but you can see that across the board everyone has stepped up,” she said.
“Everyone was down about yesterday (after the team pursuit defeat), but I came out today and I was determined to fight.
"Fourth in the world isn't bad. I can't complain really. It shows what a good achievement it was winning those two golds last year.
"Last year I was absolutely flying and it went perfectly. This year has been a real battle."
Jess Varnish took the scalp of Australian Olympic champion Anna Meares in the last 16 of the women’s sprint, however she couldn’t get passed Stephanie Morton in the quarter-finals.
Commonwealth Games champion Morton won the first two heats to advance, while Varnish had to settle for eighth.
"Don't get me wrong, you go out there and you want to be on the podium, but that's the best I've finished all year," Varnish said.
"To beat the Olympic champion, I've never beaten her before, so I feel like I'm going in the right direction.
"I was fourth last year and I really think this year is another level."
Elsewhere, Callum Skinner and Kian Emadi finished seventh and 12th respectively in the kilo, while Mark Christian was 17th in the points race.
And Jonathan Dibben sits 11th after day one of the omnium after kicking things off with a superb second-place finish in the scratch race.
Saturday sees Jason Kenny start his sprint competition while Laura Trott will begin her omnium as Dibben concludes his. Meanwhile, Andy Tennant rides in the men's individual pursuit and Elinor Barker goes in the women's scratch race.
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