Gemma Spofforth almost joined the British women's medal spree in the Water Cube today - only to be left feeling pained when she realised she had missed out by the length of a fingernail.

The 20-year-old from Shoreham swam the race of her life in the 100 metres backstroke to smash the European record but when she looked up at the scoreboard to learn she'd been pipped for the bronze by just four-hundredths of a second, she could not hide her disappointment.

"I'm sure I'll calm down and realise that I was fourth in an Olympic final, an incredible achievement, but it's just so painful to look up at the scoreboard and see how close I was to a medal," bemoaned the Florida-based student, who has already made a name for herself in the US as their collegiate champion.

Feeling inspired by the heroics of gold medal winner Becky Adlington the previous day, Spofforth was one from last at the turn but began to pick off her rivals in the final straight and "gave it all" in the last 15m, almost catching American Margaret Hoelzer for the bronze at the wall but ending up with just the consolation of a new UK mark of 59.38sec.

"I didn't have what it takes here and fourth is painful," said the woman who had considered quitting the sport in disillusionment until committing to her American adventure. "But I can look forward with confidence to London in 2012 now because I know that, like Becks and a lot of other girls in this team, there's a lot more to come from me."

Jo Jackson, just too weary to compete at her best after all the emotions of winning the bronze behind Adlington yesterday, struggled in her 200m freestyle semifinal, being eliminated in seventh place in 1min 58.70sec, but the British women's success story continued with a stirring swim from Caitlin McClatchey, who finished third in her heat in 1:57.73 and qualified as seventh fastest for tomorrow's final.