SWINDON swimmer Jazz Carlin has again missed out on a World Championship medal in the 400m by the smallest of margins.

The 24-year-old came agonisingly close two years ago in Barcelona as she was pipped to third place by just 0.14 seconds.

This time around the margin was 0.4 seconds as she missed out on a bronze medal in her first event in Kazan, Russia.

The Tigersharks swimmer, based at the University of Bath, had clocked 4:07.15 to finished joint sixth fastest in this morning's heats, finishing joint second behind New Zealander Lauren Boyle in her heat.

In the final this evening the British and European champion came storming back in the last two lengths, clocking the fastest final 100m of anyone in the field, but found the wall come to soon as she finished fourth, with Australia’s Jessica Ashwood taking bronze behind USA’s Katie Ledecky and the Netherlands’ Sharon Van Rouwendaal.

“I gave it my best shot,” said Carlin, who clocked a time of 4:03.74.

“When you get to a World Championship, you’re really racing the best in the world. That was my best today and to come fourth is really disappointing.

“I would have loved to be on the podium but that’s the way it goes sometimes.

“I’ve got a few days off now so it will be nice to get a few days rest and move on ready for the 800m.”

Ledecky, 18, ran away with the final as she broke Federica Pellegrini’s championship record with a time of 3:59.13, 3.89-seconds ahead of second place.

She was around one second under her 2014 world-record pace halfway through the race, finishing 0.76 seconds off her mark.

Van Rouwendaal finished second with a strong 4:03.02, finishing just ahead of Ashwood, who grabbed the bronze with a time of 4:03.34.

Carlin now has a few days to rest before going in the 800m freestyle on Friday.