ISLE of Wight breaststroker Darren Mew's hopes of an Olympic medal were literally blown away on the ripples of a windswept pool in Athens last night.

Mew - officially ranked second in the world this year and fourth in the all-time list - could finish only seventh in the men's 100m breaststroke final.

Britain's other finalist, James Gibson, who won gold and bronze in the world championships last year, was one place higher in sixth.

The result was a massive disappointment for not only Mew and Gibson but for a British team which has five men among the world's top 16 breaststrokers and four in the top 10.

But, as the swimmers themselves have been reminding us in the run-up to the Games, it's race results that count, not pre-Olympic rankings.

And on the day the Britons were not quite a match for world champion Kosuke Kitajima of Japan, who took the gold in 1min 0.08sec, and world record holder Brendan Hansen of the USA, who took silver.

The bronze went to Frenchman Hugues Duboscq, who was ranked sixth - lower than Mew or Gibson - coming into the Games.

All three medals were won in times slower than the British and Commonwealth record of 1:00.02 which Mew set at the Olympic trials in April - although the strong wind sweeping down the pool may have something to do with the slower times.

Mew, who had qualified third fastest behind Kitajima and Hansen for the final, turned fifth at the 50m mark in 28.59 with Gibson fourth.

Both men appeared to be challenging for bronze down the second 50 only to lose ground in the closing stages.

Mew, 24, from Totland Bay, said: "I was probably a little bit excited.

"I was in a good position after the semi-final and maybe got a bit carried away down the first 50. I am completely gutted with the result."

Dave Lyles, Mew's coach at the University of Bath, said: "I can't help but be disappointed. I expected a lot more.

"Darren is obviously pretty upset himself.

"We had nothing more to give on the night but I can't give an answer as to why.

"Darren could have done better but he didn't. But we are moving forward.

"In Sydney he didn't make the final. He has moved up seven places in four years."

Britain's national performance director, Bill Sweetenham, who is credited with reviving the fortunes of British swimming, said: "We didn't deliver tonight and that's disappointing."