EurosportThe 17-year-old, who took bronze at the British Championships earlier this year, was just 0.75 points away from a 12th place finish and a surprise place in the Olympics final.
But Starling said she was happy with her performance and her London 2012 Olympics experience.
"I'm really happy - 13th at the Olympics, I didn't even think I'd make the semi-final – I was just 0.75 away from the final, but it's my first Olympics," she said.
"I'm really happy with my performance, I got over 300 and I really wanted to get over 300. I just aimed to have a good time and enjoy it, and that's what I did, I'm really happy.
"It's five points away from what I scored in the dive-off at the world cup (2012). If I got those five points I'd have made the final, but it was the best day of my life, so I can't really have asked for any more."
Great Britain teammate Rebecca Gallantree also missed out on a place in the final, finishing in 18th.
The 27-year-old was below her best with a couple of miss-timed dives but says she enjoyed the experience of competing in from of a partisan crowd at the Olympics Aquatics Centre.
"Sport can be tough sometimes. It didn't go my way today. I gave it everything I had and, unfortunately, it just didn't go my way,” she said.
“I'm a little disappointed, but I just really enjoyed the experience and competing in front of a home crowd is just incredible."
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