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Josh Kerr claimed 1500 metres silver after the United States’ Cole Hocker stormed to a shock gold in Olympic record time.
The Stade de France final was billed as the showdown of the century between the world champion Scotsman and his arch nemesis Jakob Ingebrigtsen, the Tokyo 2020 gold medallist.
The Norwegian quickly saw himself in front and held the lead into the final lap, when Kerr made his move along the back straight.
Just as it looked like Great Britain might have their second gold medal on the track, Hocker surged forward to snatch the title away as American Yared Nuguse claimed bronze, with Ingebrigtsen fourth.
Kerr told BBC Sport: “I can’t walk away from the championship disappointed. Obviously I said what my goals were, it was pretty obvious.
“But I’ve put a performance out there today that I was extremely proud of. I focused on my controllables, I ran the fastest and best 1500 metres I’ve ever done in my life and so when you start worrying about what everyone else does from the results then you’ll never be satisfied.
“It’s obviously not the colour of medal I want but it’s working towards the right colour – from bronze to silver.”
Ingebrigtsen told the BBC: “My plan was to win. It didn’t go according to plan. But I felt very strong the first couple of laps.
“I had difficulty telling the pace because it was quite fast. But it was difficult to slow down and reduce myself a little bit.
“I saw I was starting to get a little bit of a gap and I kept on pushing but it was just 100 metres too long today.”
Kerr might not have taken the title, but he did set a new national record in 3:27.79, while Nuguse clocked a personal best 3:27.80 and Ingebrigtsen finished in 3:28.24.
The two men had met 15 times before at 1500m including their Olympic semi-final in Paris, just Kerr’s second attempt at the distance this year, his first in the Paris heats.
Kerr came out on top when the pair last met in the mile at the Diamond League meeting in Eugene in May for a British record 3:45.34.
Ingebrigtsen, suffering from a nagging Achilles problem, announced in January he would not participate in the indoor season, but has since bounced back, setting a new personal best in the 1500 metres with a time of 3:26.73 at a Diamond League meet in Monaco on July 12.
The Norwegian would have become just the second man since World Athletics president Lord Coe in 1984 to win 1500m gold twice had he triumphed in Paris.
Now Kerr has a chance to win his first at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles, and become the first Briton to win a 1500 title since Lord Coe claimed his second in the same city 40 years ago.
I will get the medal I want when it comes to it at the end of my career. Today wasn't that day but it's a heck of a step in the right direction— Josh Kerr
Kerr added: “I’m 26 years old, this road is not over. I really wanted it today. I told you what I wanted and obviously didn’t get it. There’s going to be that part of me that’s eager and ready for that next one.
“But I’m really, really proud of the way I executed today. That’s going to have to be enough for just now. It makes me hungry and ready for more and I’m just glad I was able to add another tally to the medal count for Team GB today.
“Obviously that (gold in Los Angeles) would be amazing. I’m secure in myself as a medallist every time I come to these championships, bar one in the last four years. I’ve been consistent at this level and I will get the medal I want when it comes to it at the end of my career. Today wasn’t that day but it’s a heck of a step in the right direction.”
Kerr’s fellow Scotsman Neil Gourley, also in the final chase, finished 10th.
Dina Asher-Smith was just two one hundredths of a second shy of winning her first individual Olympic medal in a women’s 200 metres final won by American Gabby Thomas.
The 28-year-old Londoner was pipped to the finish by Thomas’ team-mate Brittany Brown in 22.20, while Asher-Smith’s training partner Julien Alfred took silver, the St Lucian’s second medal of these Games after winning women’s 100 metres gold.
Daryll Neita, who lined up next to Asher-Smith in lane five, finished one one hundredth of a second behind her fellow Briton in 22.23 seconds.
Asher-Smith and Neita collected women’s 4x100m relay bronze at both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Games, and will look to upgrade that colour beginning with Thursday’s heats.
Earlier, world silver medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith booked his place in the men’s 400 metres final in the evening session’s curtain-raiser.
Charlie Dobson, the other Briton in the mix, was unable to progress from the first semi-final after digging deep on the final stretch.
Lizzie Bird smashed her own British record to 9:04.35 in the women’s 3000 metres steeplechase final for a seventh-place finish, the best ever placing for a British woman, and there was a fifth-place finish for long jumper Jacob Fincham-Dukes in his final.
Lina Nielsen’s Olympics came to an end in heart-breaking fashion after falling at the final hurdle in her 400 metres hurdles semi-final, while Jessie Knight also bowed out of the picture with a sixth-place finish in hers.
