Matt Hauser has thrived in the problematic River Seine swim leg to set up a badly needed top-10 Olympic finish for Australian triathlon.
While not the medal he craved, the 26-year-old recovered from a fall at the start of the run to finish seventh at his second Olympics.
It is the third-best Olympic result for Australia in men's triathlon, where the country that once dominated the sport has never been on the podium.
Australian women have won five medals since the sport's Sydney 2000 Olympic debut.
After AusTriathlon's disastrous Tokyo Games campaign, Hauser and his eight-year partnership with coach Dan Atkins represent a sign of life.
"A top 10 at the Olympics is pretty good," Hauser said.
"I set my sights high, I really wanted a medal and I knew I was capable of that on my day, but it just wasn't my day."
British triathlete Alex Yee and Cassandre Beaugrand of France took the gold medals, a day after the men's race was postponed because of persistent concerns about Seine pollution.
As it turned out, the strong current and not the water quality was the big problem for the women's race, before Hauser set a strong pace in the water for the men.
But after finishing the bike among a big lead group, a wheel cut in front of Hauser during the crucial bike-run transition and he went down.
"Tensions get a bit high and testosterone kicks in ... I kind of fell over then had to bounce straight back up, pick my bike up," he said.
"It kind of affected me a little bit, but the adrenalin got me going and I have come back from worse.
"It's hard to say (it cost him a medal), the guys were flying out there ... I probably raced the way I really wanted to race."
Yee tore past New Zealand rival Hayden Wilde in the last kilometre to win the gold medal.
He improved on his silver medal from Tokyo, winning the 1.5km swim, 40km cycle and 10km run event in one hour 43 minutes 33 seconds.
Wilde was four seconds back for second after leading for much of the run, while Leo Bergere of France won bronze and Hauser finished 44 seconds behind Yee.
Luke Willian could not carry his outstanding pre-Games form into Wednesday's race and finished 46th.
Beaugrand broke clear in the last 2km to win the women's race in 1:54:55, with Swiss Julie Derron six seconds behind for silver.
British star Beth Potter was another nine seconds back for the bronze and Emma Lombardi, also from France, was the other member of the lead group and finished fourth.
Australian Sophie Linn finished 21st and compatriot Natalie Van Coevorden was 42nd.
Overnight and morning rain meant several women crashed out on the bike, with conditions improving for the men
Linn added it was the strongest current she had experienced in a swim.
After two pre-event swim sessions in the river were cancelled and then the men were postponed because of water pollution concerns, race day dawned with World Triathlon announcing "we will swim" on social media through its X channel.
All four Australians will return to the Pont Alexandre III site for the August 5 mixed team relay.
