Dyatchin wins

The Australian world 1,500 metres freestyle record holder finished in 15th place behind winner Vladimir Dyatchin of Russia but was disqualified after receiving two yellow cards for hampering other swimmers during the race.

Britain's 1,500m specialist David Davies won the silver, 0.3 seconds behind Dyatchin who clocked one hour 53 minutes 21 seconds for the course which runs along Seville's River Guadalquivir.

Germany's Thomas Lurz took the bronze medal ahead of Maarten van der Weijden of the Netherlands.

Hackett, who is bidding to become the first male swimmer to win the same event at three successive Olympics in the 1,500m, said he was taken aback by the decision to disqualify him.

"It certainly surprised me that's for sure," he said. "I knew it was going to be a tough race and there were plenty of guys pulling legs, swimming over the top of each other around the turning buoys but I was determined to stay away from all that stuff -- that was always my plan.

"There were times when there were bodies everywhere -- it was that kind of race. I'm the first to admit that it was never going to be easy and with 150 metres to go another swimmer swam over the top of me and pulled me back and I swam over his legs and that's what I was supposedly disqualified for."

The lanky Queenslander said he was proud of getting so close to realising his dream.

"I just didn't have it in the legs in the end and the decision not to compromise my pool programme was a risk you take and in the end I was two body lengths off 10th place, that's how close it was," he said.

"But I'm going to hold my head up and move on and get back to prepare for my pool events."

Ky Hurst, an ironman triathlete who lost to Hackett in the Australian national championships in December last year, qualified for the Olympics after finishing joint fifth with Russia's Evgeny Drattsev.

"I've had an Olympic dream since I was eight years of age and I can't believe I've finally made it," said Hurst. "It's been a long, hard effort... every lap, every stroke, every paddle, every gym session has paid off."

Open water swimming is renowned for its combative and aggressive nature, with competitors knocking into each other as they fight for position around the marker buoys and at the feeding stations.