Two of Australia’s best gold medal chances at the 2016 Olympic Games flopped on Tuesday (AEST), with backstroke stars Mitch Larkin and Emily Seebohm both missing out on medals in 100m finals.

The Brisbane pair, who have been dating since 2015, entered their respective finals as world champions over the distance.

And they were both in the lead – and under world record pace – at the halfway point of their events, only to falter in the latter stages, with Larkin eventually finishing fourth. Seebohm swam seventh fastest in the women’s event.

Just hours after Australia claimed its fourth gold of the Games in the women’s rugby sevens, Seebohm entered the pool hoping to go one better than her silver medal in the 100m backstroke in London four years ago.

Seebohm was infamously moved to tears on the pooldeck and later blamed social media for her failure to win gold in the English capital.

She didn’t start superbly but made up a heap of ground to lead at the turn, only for Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu (58.45secs) to assert her dominance in the second half of the race.

Hosszu – who also won gold in the women’s 400m individual medley earlier in the Games – held off a fast-finishing Kathleen Baker of the United States (58.75secs) for victory.

Hosszu celebrates her victory. Photo: Getty

Canada’s Kylie Masse and China’s Fu Yuanhui (58.76secs) swam the same time and will both win a bronze medal.

Seebohm (59.19secs) finished seventh, while fellow Australian Madison Wilson (59.23secs) was just behind in eighth.

“I trained really hard for this and I guess [I am] a little disappointed to see that I, you know, have gone 58 [seconds] last year, so it sucks a bit,” Seebohm told the Seven Network.

“I know that I tried 100 per cent tonight and I couldn’t have done any more so I am proud of myself.”

Wilson added: “It was so much fun to be here. Unfortunately I didn’t swim the best I could tonight, but I had a great experience.”

Seebohm’s boyfriend was next up and he too looked good for gold at the turn of his race.

But American Ryan Murphy (51.97secs) stormed home to claim victory in an Olympic record time.

China’s Xu Jiayu (52.31secs) and David Plummer (52.40secs), also of the United States, rounded out the medals, with Larkin (52.43secs) next best in fourth.

Larkin (left) next to eventual winner Murphy. Photo: Getty

“It was a quick race and I knew it would come down to a close finish,” Larkin told the Seven Network.

“Ryan swum really quick and he deserves it. A little bit disappointing. I left everything in the pool and I couldn’t have done much different.

“It is tough, obviously, as world champion everyone expects you continue that each year to year. But the 100 [metre backstroke] comes down to nothing really.

“It is a bit of luck and obviously a bit of hard training that goes into it but for me, the 200 [metre backstroke] is my favourite and that is later in the week.”

Larkin added that he had watched Seebohm fail to win a medal – just minutes before his race.

“It was on in the marshalling room in the big screen. I know Em would be disappointed,” he said.

“But that is what it is, it is the Olympics … she will be upset but she will rebuild and get ready for the 200 [metre backstroke].”