Leigh Hoffman lost to former teammate Matt Richardson, who in turn had to bow again to Dutch master Harrie Lavreysen at the world track cycling championships.
Lavreysen completed an historic sweep of the men's sprint events at the worlds on the last day in Santiago, Chile.
He beat Richardson two heats to nil in the gold medal ride-off for the match sprint, making Lavreysen the first rider to win four gold medals at a track world championships.
Lavreysen also won the 1km time trial and the keirin, as well as being a member of the victorious Dutch team sprint trio.
The 28-year-old now has amassed 20 world track titles, as well as five Olympic gold medals.
Three of the Olympic titles were in Paris last year, when Lavreysen swept the men's sprint gold medals.
"This is unbelievable," he said. "Coming here, I didn't think I could do it (win four titles), though it was always in the back of my mind.
"And winning the sprint means so much, it's the main event and today everything just came together. I just love the work, the process and the competition."
Richardson defected from Australia to Great Britain after last year's Olympics, and this was his first world championships since the shock move.
He also took silver behind the Dutch in the team sprint, but failed to make it past the keirin quarter-finals.
Hoffman beat Nicholas Paul from Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 in the ride-off for bronze.
With Richardson gone and fellow Australian sprinter Matt Glaetzer having a post-Olympics break, Hoffman took a significant step forward in Santiago.
After the Paris Olympics team sprint bronze medallist had the same result in the event at the worlds, he won keirin silver and then match-sprint bronze - the best individual results of his career.
Hoffman's bronze was the only Australian medal on the last day. Alessia McCaig was fourth in the women's keirin, won by Japanese rider Mina Sato.
Mexican Yareli Acevedo Mendoza won the women's points race, and Elia Viviani capped his outstanding road and track career by claiming the men's elimination title. Belgium took out the men's madison.
Australia won two silver and three bronze medals as the Netherlands topped the medal table with nine gold from 22 events.
- with Reuters
