Australia's two mixed snowboard cross teams crashed out in the same quarter-final at the Beijing Winter Olympics, with Belle Brockhoff taken to hospital for scans.
With huge snowflakes falling to create an ethereal winter-wonderland atmosphere at the Genting Snow Park, both Brockhoff and Josie Baff hit the deck, ruling them out of contention for the medals.
"It was a really disappointing result," said Cam Bolton, who was paired with Brockhoff.
"Belle did well to come fourth the other day in the individual but just about everything else that could have gone wrong has gone wrong and in a sport with so many variables… unfortunately, this was a case where almost everything went against us and we weren't able to find a way through.
"It's a shame, because the team can show so much more and achieve such incredible success, as we've shown over the past four to eight years.
"As disappointing as it is, we'll all be looking to bounce back [in the remaining World Cup competitions]."
Australia was the reigning world champions in the mixed team event.
Brockhoff — who finished a heartbreaking fourth place in the women's individual event — was partnered with Bolton, as he was Australia's best performer in the men's individual competition.
Australia's second team — consisting of Adam Lambert and Josie Baff — were given a spot at the last minute following the withdrawal of one of the other teams.
Each team's male athlete went down the course first, with the time advantage then applied to the starting sequence of the female rider.
In their quarter-final, Bolton gave Brockhoff a narrow lead over USA's individual gold medallist Lindsey Jacobellis and Baff.
But Baff fell after some contact high up the course, and Brockhoff followed her in hitting the deck after carrying too much speed through the rolling jumps and hitting Jacobellis in tricky conditions.
Brockhoff complained of a sore neck after falling and was taken to hospital for scans. She was later cleared of serious injury after some initial concern from her teammates.
"Board cross is intense. There's always risk," Bolton said.
"It's the sport that we love and we love the thrill of it and the excitement, and part of the reality of that is that — at times — you can be injured."
Two of the four teams in each quarter-final progressed, adding to the disappointment of the athletes.
"It's a tough sport," Lambert said.
The disappointment concludes a torrid Games campaign for the snowboard cross team, highlighting the unpredictability of one of the most exciting sports at the Games.
But Lambert and Baff defended their performance.
"It's not a toss of the coin. We're all consistent, we've all been on the podium," Lambert said.
Baff added: "We all work really hard and so does everyone else here.
"It's anyone's game on any day given everything."
The jovial attitude of the athletes in the mix zone rubbed some up the wrong way, but both Baff and Lambert said they were hurting after the defeat.
"I wanted to cry when I crossed the line," Baff said.
"But you can't be mad."
"Every result that is not a podium is a missed opportunity," Lambert added.
In the final, it was a case of waiting 16 years for an Olympic gold medal, only for two to come along in the space of a couple of days for Jacobellis, who partnered 40-year-old veteran Nick Baumgartner to claim gold for the USA.
Italy picked up the silver medal, with Canada finishing third.
