“Fifth again but it’s faster than I did at the Olympics so I can’t really complain,” said Miley, who clocked 4.34.16 behind runner-up Mireia Belmonte Garcia of Spain (4:31.21) and American defending champion Elizabeth Beisel (4:31.69).
“It’s not the result that everyone wants and I hate disappointing people because it’s a massive disappointment for myself to come away without a medal considering I did in Shanghai [silver at the 2011 Worlds] but the sport of swimming is moving on rapidly.
“I need to try and do something to make that improvement again next year and try and get closer to my rivals.
“My target is obviously Rio and this is just a stepping stone and hopefully a kick up the backside to keep me motivated, get back in the water and train even harder.”
China’s Olympic champion and world record holder Ye Shiwen could only manage seventh in 4:38.51.
Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte, who won 100m gold earlier in the week and broke the 50m breaststroke world record in Saturday’s semi-finals, had to settle for silver in the final.
Russian Yuliya Efimova, 21, won in 29.52 seconds, edging out Plymouth-based 16-year-old Meilutyte by 0.07 seconds, with US swimmer Jessica Hardy (29.80) securing bronze.
“It great how much the breaststroke has stepped up with records a being broken in the 50m, 100m and 200m events so it’s a great honour to be a part of that,” said Meilutyte.
“A silver medal is an achievement as well [as a gold] so I have to be pleased with that.”
In the men’s 50m backstroke, Frenchman Camille Lacourt won in 24.42 seconds, but there was a tie for second place with countryman Jeremy Stravius and Matt Grevers (USA) both touching in 24.54.
