Ian Thorpe's London Olympic comeback dream is over after he bombed out in the heats of the 100m freestyle at the national swimming trials in Adelaide on Sunday.
The five-time Olympic gold medallist improved on the best time of his comeback to clock 50.35 seconds and win his heat but managed only the 21st best time of the morning to clearly miss out on Sunday night's semi-finals.
World champion James Magnussen was fastest qualifier with a sizzling heat swim of 48.26 ahead of Matt Targett (48.85), Tommaso D'Orsogna (49.18), Eamon Sullivan (49.29) and Matt Abood (49.33).
Magnussen, 20, admitted regret that Thorpe would not be swimming in London.
"Thorpey's been someone I've always admired as a swimmer so it is upsetting for him and the rest of us do feel his pain," said London gold medal favourite Magnussen.
"It would have been great to have him there in London and it's disappointing he's not going to be there but all I can do now is focus on my own race."
Thorpe's fellow comeback swimmer Michael Klim clocked 49.79 to win through to the semis in 11th fastest.
Thorpe was expected to struggle to progress in a strong 100m field having already bowed out of the 200m freestyle, considered his best chance to qualify.
He clearly improved on the best 100m time since returning to competition, a 50.76 he clocked in Luxembourg last month.
His best chance came in the 200m freestyle but he was eliminated in Friday night's semi-finals after an impressive heat swim earlier that day.
A disappointed Thorpe reiterated his desire to swim on.
"I hadn't thought about it very much ... but I think now I'll probably take a few days off and enjoy the competition and then sit down with a few people, (Australian head coach) Leigh Nugent and my coach Gennadi (Touretski) and work out what is next, work out what the next preparation will be and what competition will be next," Thorpe said.
"I'm still swimming. When I started this I wanted to get back in the pool, I wanted to race and I wanted to go to the Olympics. I still want to do all of those things.
"I've missed out on a huge goal ... but the desire is still there."
Thorpe did not rule out suggestions by Nugent he could swim on until the Rio 2016 Olympics and said he had no regrets about his decision to make a comeback.
"No. Overall, no," Thorpe said.
"It's tough. It's hard coming to this competition and really failing in what I set out to do. I'm disappointed that I really haven't been able to race in a way that's reflective of the hard work that I've done.
"I'm glad I was willing to put myself out there."
Magnussen, meanwhile, said he was ill - but unfazed, given he won last year's world titles with pneumonia.
"Taper seems to get me every year and I'm feeling a bit crook again," Magnussen said.
"I was sort of hoping this morning just to stay nice and light and not have to push myself.
"I won a world championships having pneumonia so if anything it hasn't really worried too much - if I have to swim with one lung, so be it."
In other heats on Sunday, Sam Hamill was fastest qualifier into Sunday night's 200m butterfly semi-final in 2:11.14, ahead of Jess Schipper (2:11.87).
Stephanie Rice was entered for the event but opted not to compete ahead of the 200m individual medley and 200m freestyle finals on Sunday night.
Reigning champion Brenton Rickard (2:15.08) was untroubled in topping the 200m breaststroke heats.
Christian Sprenger, who won the 100m event on Friday night, was fourth in 2:20.31.
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