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Spofforth: Just missed out
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Coughin: Took gold
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Peirsol: World record
"I'm sure I will calm down and realise I finished fourth in an Olympic final, but at the moment it's just so painful."
Gemma Spofforth
Women's 100m Backstroke:
Gold: Natalie Coughlin (US)
Silver: Kirsty Coventry (Zim)
Bronze: Margaret Hoelzer (US)
Men's 100m Backstroke:
Gold: Aaron Peirsol (US)
Silver: Matt Grevers (US)
Bronze: Hayden Stoeckel (Aus), Arkady Vyatchanin (Rus)
Women's 100m Breaststroke:
Gold: Leisel Jones (Aus)
Silver: Rebecca Soni (US)
Bronze: Mirna Jukic (Aut)
Also see
Briton Gemma Spofforth just missed out on a medal in the women's 100m backstroke on Tuesday, finishing an agonising fourth.
The 20-year-old was edged out for the bronze by American Margaret Hoelzer by just 0.04secs.
However, her time of 59.38 was a new British record - something of a consolation for her excellent swim.
The race was won by Hoelzer's team-mate Natalie Coughlin in 58.96.
She took gold ahead of main rival Kirsty Coventry, the woman who had taken her world record in Monday's semi-finals. The Zimbabwean could manage only 59.19 on this occasion.
Painful
''I'm sure I will calm down and realise I finished fourth in an Olympic final, but at the moment it's just so painful to look up at that scoreboard and be so close to gold,'' said Spofforth.
"It went much better than yesterday. I knew I had to go out much faster and one place I needed to improve was my turn and I think I did that.'
"The last 15 metres I dug in and gave it all I had and it just wasn't meant to be. I didn't have what it takes this year but maybe in 2012 I will be able to prove I have what it takes.
"I didn't realise it was a personal best until I was crawling out of the water, but fourth is painful to see.''
There was also a near miss for Briton Liam Tancock in the men's 100m backstroke.
The 50m specialist's tactics were to go out hard and he led by more than half a second at the turn.
But the Briton's rivals came back as he tired in the final 25m and Tancock could finish only sixth, albeit in a new British record of 53.39.
American Aaron Peirsol defended his title with a new world record of 52.54, shattering his previous mark by 0.35secs. His team-mate Matt Grevers won silver in 53.11.
In the women's 100m breaststroke, Leisel Jones claimed an expected gold medal for Australia.
She produced a dominant swim to win by a massive 1.56secs in a new Olympic record of 1:05.17.
America's Rebecca Soni was well back in second, with Austria's Mirna Jukic taking bronze.
