"It hurts," was all that James "The Missile" Magnussen could muster of his defeat to American swimmer Nathan Adrian who outdid him in the pool by a fingernail and one-hundredth of a second in the 100 metres freestyle final event of the 2012 London Olympics.

On Day 5 of the competition, Australia now has a total of 9 medals - six silver, two bronze and the elusive gold, still at one piece.

People who watched the competition thought Magnussen will clinch this one, but as he stretched his hand to touch the wall in the final seconds, Adrian, presumably more alert, stretched out further and faster.

Twenty-three year old Adrian clocked in 47.52sec; Magnussen, 47.53. Canada's Brent Hayden claimed bronze in 47.80 ahead of Yannick Agnel of France, the Olympic 200m freestyle champion.

"I have big hands, I guess," ABC Radio Australia quoted Adrian as saying in reference to the margin of victory.

At last year's world championships in Shanghai, Adrian finished sixth behind Magnussen.

A simple case of oneself's giving all his best, but unfortunately, it still just wasn't good enough.

"It hurts," Magnussen said amid his pool of shattered dreams. "I did my best tonight and it was not quite good enough."

"To lose by that amount stings but I've had a lot of great support the last few days from people from back in Australia."

Ian Thorpe, Australia's five-time Olympic gold medallist, who failed to be part of this year's swimming group sent to global sporting competition after he failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the 100m freestyle, said Magnussen made a very critical error at the finishing when he did not slam his hand down into the wall.

"He reached only slightly upwards to touch the pad. If you break a finger, you've won a gold medal. Who cares?," Thorpe said on BBC News.

"It's been a tough Olympics," Magnussen said after thinking some of his race.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger so hopefully I come out of this a better swimmer and most of all a better person."

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