PORTLAND star Jay Lelliott was squeezed out of the 400m freestyle medals by the narrowest of margins at the British Swimming Championships in Glasgow.
Lelliott, 24, was the defending champion over this distance and his qualification time of 3.50.21 was the second-fastest of all swimmers and some 0.64 seconds quicker than his winning time last season.
However, Lelliott was beaten by Commonwealth Games 1,500m silver medallist Daniel Jervis who took gold in a stunning time of 3:47.57.
The battle for the medals took place between three swimmers in a thrilling finale with just 0.14 seconds covering second to fourth.
But Lelliott, who posted a time of 3:52.35 was edged out into fourth by 0.09 seconds as Kieran Bird and Sheffield clubmate Samuel Budd rounded off the medal positions.
Lelliott could now turn his attentions to defending his 800m title with heats beginning on Saturday (10am).
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here