No Phelps-esque haul for Hoff, who takes bronze in 400 IM

Katie Hoff entered the Olympic women's 400-meter individual medley final as the world-record holder.

The Baltimore area native finished the race as the bronze medalist, with Australia's Stephanie Rice and Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry both eclipsing Hoff's previous standard set June 29 at the U.S. Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb.

Rice, who set the world record of 4:31.46 in March before Hoff lowered it to 4:31.12, regained her global standard in emphatic fashion, holding off a determined Coventry to prevail in 4:29.45. Coventry took silver in 4:29.89, the No. 2 all-time mark in event history.

There was discussion before the Olympics that Hoff had a shot at winning six gold medals, which would've been the female equivalent to Phelps' pursuit of eight golds.

Although Hoff, 19, captured her first career Olympic medal after being shut out in 2004, she couldn't duplicate Phelps' feat of winning gold and setting a world record for his first Olympic medal in the 400 IM in Athens. It was her first loss in the 400 IM in the past four years.

American Elizabeth Beisel, 15, the top qualifier in the prelims ahead of Hoff, finished fourth in 4:34.24. Beisel took second to Hoff at the Olympic trials in 4:32.87.