Upbeat Miley looks to the future with renewed confidence

From James Toney and Ryan Bangs, Sportsbeat, in Rome

HANNAH Miley was all smiles despite just missing out on a 400m medley medal at the World Swimming Championships.

LOOKING AHEAD: Hannah Miley didn't medal but has made significant progress in Rome

However, the 19-year old was under no illusions as to the task now in hand, having finished fourth at the Foro Italico.

She arrived in Rome ranked world number one after setting the European record at the British Gas national championships earlier this year.

But she lost that position to Hungary's Katinka Hosszu, who claimed gold in a championship record 4.30.31.

Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry and Australia's Stephanie Rice - two of world swimming's big names - just held off Miley's medal challenge.

"I'm absolutely elated with how the championships have gone, it's so much better than Beijing," said Miley, who celebrates her 20th birthday in six days time.

"Fourth is a tough place to finish but I'm making progress and you can't argue with that.

"I've worked really hard on my breaststroke in the past year and it's really paid off this week.

"I probably need to do the same on my backstroke now but the beauty of the medley is there is always something to work, always something you can do to go faster."

Meanwhile, David Davies insisted he had no regrets after ending his championships without a medal.

The double World Championships medallist has been one of Britain's busiest swimmers and that caught up him in the 1500m freestyle final.

Tunisia's Oussama Mellouli took gold while Canada's Ryan Cochrane and China's Sun Yang completed the podium.

Davies trailed home a distant sixth in a 14.57.03 time that was well outside his long-standing personal best.

"I had that horrible feeling that I had ran out of fuel at the halfway point and when that happens it is never good - it is the worst feeling in swimming," he said,

"It was so tough to get in the final and I knew at the start of the week how hard it was going to be and maybe it was one race too many.

"I don't regret any of it because I wanted to find new challenges. I have progressed in the 400m and the 800m and this year having targeted those events I haven't done any endurance like I have done in previous years and that showed in the 1500m."

New world champion Liam Tancock joined British team-mates Michael Rock, James Gibson and Simon Burnett for the 4x100m medley final.

But his joy soon turned to disappointment as Rock was false started and Great Britain disqualified.

Michael Phelps powered the dominant American quartet to victory, securing his fifth gold in the 41st world record to fall at these controversial championships.

Great Britain ended the championships with seven medals, including two golds, their best return since 2003.