Frustrating day for Aussies at world swimming titles as 4x100m freestyle relay teams just miss out Alicia Coutts is comforted by teammates after the narrow relay defeat. HEARTBROKEN Olympic star Alicia Coutts apologised for "letting down" her teammates as Australia were narrowly beaten to the gold medal in an amazing 4x100m freestyle relay at the world titles. In stunning pool deck scenes, Coutts broke down in tears on a night of countless near misses for Australia where one silver medal was won but at least three medals went begging including that by James Magnussen and his relay men. Coutts was gutted after being overtaken in the final strokes of the final after Australia had led from the start when Cate Campbell fired out a sensational 52.33s lead off - the fastest time ever in a textile suit and erasing the previous best by an Australian set by Libby Trickett in a supersuit. The Australian team of Campbell, sister Bronte and Emma McKeon rallied around Coutts who was out-touched by Megan Romano as USA won 3:32.31 to 3:32.43. It was the third race of the night and fifth of the day for lion-hearted Coutts after qualifying for the finals of the 100m butterfly and 200m medley only 40 minutes earlier. Australia's time was still a new Commonwealth record, faster than last year's effort which secured Olympic gold in London. "I can honestly say for the first time in my career I felt like I let them down," Coutts said before breaking down in tears. Bronte Campbell immediately spoke for all when she defended the five-times Olympic medallist. "Alicia didn't let anyone down, you were so good," she said. Alicia just did three finals in one night, the most that anyone is going to do in our entire team and she anchored our relay and did a cracking job and she hasn't let anyone down in the whole world. Cate Campbell will now carry enormous favouritism for the individual 100m later in the meet and admitted she was blown away by her own time. "Well I wasn't expecting to go quite that quick," she said. I knew I was quick going in, I didn't think I was that quick. But it's a case of groundhog day for Magnussen (48.00s) and his teammates, with the sprint star edged out by Olympic nemesis Nathan Adrian (47.95s) before France come home with a late surge to snatch gold. The French team won in 3:11.18, ahead of USA 3:11.42, Russia 3:11.44 and Australia fourth in 3:11.58. It was one of the closest relay finishes in history with four teams hitting the wall together. Magnussen's lead off time was 0.47s slower than his performance at the selection trials and he was again left deflated and pondering where it's all gone wrong. "Not my best," Magnussen said. I had a really good warm up, I don't know. It's been a while since someone led me out to 50 so I that felt a bit foreign and I probably chased a little bit too early. Burnt my legs a bit early. In other finals teenage rookie Jordan Harrison (3:48.80) placed sixth and Kylie Palmer (4:08.13) was eighth in their respective 400m freestyle finals. It was a case of missed opportunities though for national champions David McKeon and Bronte Barratt who both missed the finals but had times swum at the selection trials that would have collected the silver and bronze medals respectively. "It was disappointing to go slower (in the final) but taking it all in as experience moving forward I've got the 800 and 1500 so moving forward always," Harrison said. I'm not going to dwell on it, sixth in a world final is something I'm proud off. Olympic silver medallist Christian Sprenger looms as Australia's best shot at a first gold medal of the world titles, fastest qualifier in the 100m breaststroke in 59.23s and a massive 0.55s ahead of Olympic champ Cameron van der Burgh and USA's Kevin Cordes. "I still think Cameron is the favourite," Sprenger said. Coutts, meanwhile, has set herself for a big show on the second night, qualifying third fastest in both the 100m butterfly and 200m medley finals. Coutts swum 57.49s in the fly, to just trail Sweden's former world champ Sarah Sjostrom (57.10s), and clocked 2:10.06 in the medley to be just behind Hungary's Kottinka Hosszu (2:08.59). Emily Seebohm (2:10.70) was sixth fastest qualifier but withdrew from the final to concentrate on her 100m backstroke. In Australia's other result Matt Targett finished 13th in the non-Olympic 50m butterfly semi-final in 23.39s.