Canberra's Lauren Wells has hinted the lure of starting a family could prevent her from pushing on to the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
The 25-year-old finished fourth in a slippery 400m hurdles final on Thursday night in Glasgow, running 56.09sec – a slight improvement on her time in Delhi four years ago where she also just missed the medals.
It was her first major Games meet since marrying husband Heath in November last year.
Wells (nee Boden) and her husband have agreed to target the 2016 Rio Olympics, but the seven-time national champion doesn't know whether she'll push on beyond that.
"Family's a big thing, my husband Heath and I have always talked about it and I think being a female athlete it's just something you have to be aware of," Wells said.
"We kind of agree that we'll try for Rio and another Olympic Games. The aim for Worlds next year is to make the final and that's the same for Rio.
"If I'm in the shape of my life, who knows what I decide then, but at this stage I'm not going to commit to another four years."
An exit from athletics would mean missing out on the chance to run in front of a home crowd in Australia.
The vocal Hampden Park contingent roared home Scottish hurdler Eilidh Child to the silver medal, and have created a brilliant atmosphere during the Games in the country's national home of football.
"It's insane, everyone's jumping around and singing The Proclaimers," Wells said.
"The cheer that you heard them give Eilidh in my race, you just try and pretend it's for you but at the same time it's just like wow, 40,000 people can make a lot of noise."
While disappointed she missed a podium finish, Wells said she was simply outclassed behind Child, and Jamaican pair Kaliese Spence and Janieve Russell.
"I did everything I could and that's all that can be asked on the day, I obviously would've liked a lot faster," she said.
"I think I took it to them as best I could but they were just a little bit better on the day.
"On Tuesday after my heat I thought 'God I hope it pours on Thursday because maybe a few of the Caribbean countries wouldn't like that too much', but I don't think it really seemed to worry them at all.
"I feel I don't have an excuse because I'm from Canberra and I train in all conditions."
