Iwan Thomas underlined the missing element to Sydney's final night of track and field as Britain finished without a relay medal at an Olympic Games for the first time since 1976.

The European and Commonwealth champion admitted to a hollow feeling as he left Stadium Australia without his customary relay medal at the end of a major championships.

Not since the Montreal Games 24 years ago have at least one of the men's or women's 4x100m or 4x400m teams failed to add to the British medal tally on the final day of competition.

The men's 4x400m quartet, with Jared Deacon leading off, followed by Daniel Caines, Thomas and Jamie Baulch, could only manage sixth place, with favourites USA comfortably taking the gold ahead of Nigeria and Jamaica, and the Bahamas and France also pipping Britain.

"Myself and Jamie (Baulch) are used to coming away from major championships with medals and this is the first time I will not be going home with a medal, so I am pretty disappointed," admitted Thomas - a late addition to the team on his return to fitness after an ankle operation.

"It was a great team effort but I thought we might do better than that. But it was pretty hard. I have run three races in 30 hours and to be honest, what I did here, I did on heart.

"I was pleased to be here, I am just gutted I am not going home with a medal. But I will be a different athlete next year."

Both Thomas and Baulch were members of the quartet that won silver four years ago in Atlanta, but when Baulch was impeded by his French opponent on the final leg changeover, any prospect of salvaging a medal disappeared.

"He just got in front of me, and it meant I had to stop, and then start again," the Welshman explained. "But that is 4x400m running for you.

"It was very tough for us to go out there and repeat what we did in Atlanta. Iwan is still getting back to fitness, I have had my problems, but Daniel has run very well here and I am sure we will be a lot stronger next year."

The women's 4x 400m quartet were voicing similar sentiments after finishing fifth behind the USA -- with double sprint champion Marion Jones running a storming third leg - Jamaica, Russia and Nigeria.

"It was damn hard and we are slightly disappointed, but we can work on it," said Allison Curbishley, who clocked 52.6 secs for the third leg as Jones disappeared into the distance with an estimated 49.4 effort - good enough to have won an individual medal in the event.

"I have never been involved in such a tactical race like that. It was who was the strongest and toughest out there. But we will learn from it.

"We have eight girls fighting for four positions now, and it is a case of 'Watch this space'."

Although Britain possessed two of the first four in the individual event in Katharine Merry and Donna Fraser, their perceived greater depth was still no match for the powerful American and Jamaican squads.

Even Merry, the bronze medalist in the individual event, admitted to being in awe of Jones after watching her latest outstanding display of power running.

"Marion is one of my favourite athletes, and I was dying to say something to her afterwards but I was too shy," Merry added. "She is fantastic isn't she? I have been really honoured to run against these kind of people and glad to have been a part of this Games."