Lashinda Demus won silver medal in the 400 meters hurdles — and was devastated.

Demus, last year's world champion, pushed hard at the end but came up just short in her attempt to catch Natalya Antyukh of Russia at the London Olympics.

The American doubled over in tears.

"I can't explain how bad I wanted the gold medal. It's something I've been dreaming about the last eight years," she said.

Demus admitted that expectations got the best of her even before the race began.

"When you've got people who want it for you as well, it's just a lot more to have on your shoulders," she said. "I just wanted to do well for my family and friends back home who supported me. I broke down crying, overwhelmed with emotion, even before I ran."

Demus vowed to give it another shot at the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro.

"No. 2 in the whole world says a whole lot, but No. 1 one says even more," she said. "So I won't stop until I get that gold medal."

— Jenna Fryer — Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer

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EDITOR'S NOTE — "Eyes on London" shows you the Olympics through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across the 2012 Olympic city and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.