Craig Brown’s dream of claiming a gold medal on his Olympic debut were dashed after he was beaten by Daniel Trenton of Australia, a silver medallist in Sydney four years ago.
The 21-year-old Londoner, competing in the under-80kg class, failed to reach the quarter-finals after losing out 12-6.
It was a brave performance from Brown, who only two years ago could not even compete at the World Championships in Turkey due to a lack of international experience - even though he was the British No 1.
The Londoner recovered from a broken shoulder and wrist and the loss of his father to cancer earlier this year to claim his place in the Team GB taekwondo squad for Athens.
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The British champion made a solid start, although both fighters started cautiously and it took more than 40 seconds of the first three-minute round for the pair to clash.
Brown and Trenton matched each other kick for kick in the early exchanges, but then Trenton took control ending the first of three three-minute rounds 5-2 ahead after producing some accurate kicks to win three points in a row.
The fight burst to life in the second round as Brown went on the attack.
The Briton delivered a couple of classic counter-kicks to inch closer to Trenton’s score.
Brown got to within a point of his opponent at 6-5 down mid-way through the round but that was as good as it got.
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Trenton won the next three points in a row, one of which was scored from a powerful front kick that left Brown reeling on the mat.
Heading into the final round 9-5 down it looked an uphill struggle for Brown, and despite going on the offensive for virtually the whole round, Trenton was able to counter kick and take points off the Briton to win the contest by six points.
Brown still has a faint chance of the bronze medal in the repechage, but for that to happen Trenton must reach the final.
Brown was bitterly disappointed with his display, saying his energy levels were too low in the third round.
He denied the fact that he was competing in his first Games was a factor.
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”I think I coped quite well with the atmosphere, I don’t think that was to blame,” said Brown.
”I just think I ran out of steam. It’s good for me to feel that I could go out there though and I didn’t let the occasion get to me.
”All I can do now is wait and see how my opponent does and I may get another chance.
Brown could not quite put his finger on why he was lacking in energy, but after a difficult early part of the year it is hard not to imagine the 21-year-old emotions playing a part.
”I’m not sure what it was, I just felt short of energy, I don’t know if it was dehydration or whatever but I just didn’t feel my normal self out there,” he said.
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”I was fairly confident going into it because I’ve fought some of the best people in the world before and I’ve done well against them.
”I fought in the European qualifiers to get here and I beat a few good fighters so I was feeling confident but it just wasn’t my day today.
”But I gave my best, I couldn’t have done any more. I can’t come out of there having any regrets saying ‘I should have done this or that’ I just had no energy.”