A promising start made way for a disappointing ending for Australians Alex Pullin and Damon Hayler in the fickle art of snowboard cross on Monday.
Pullin, 22, looked in career-best form in the lead-up to these Games and cemented it with a surprise first place in qualifying.
But much like the course itself, it turned to custard shortly thereafter, Pullin getting knocked out in the first of the four-man head-to-head heats.
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The world junior bronze medallist had established a solid lead but caught an edge and fell over, losing his chance to advance among the top two.
Pullin had drawn 2006 gold medallist Seth Wescott in the heat, the American going on to win it and eventually taking out the final for back-to-back Games success.
Canadian Mike Robertson was second and Frenchman Tony Ramoin took bronze.
Hayler, who'd qualified a solid ninth, made it through to the last 16 by finishing second in his heat.
In his quarter-final he also looked nicely placed to squeeze into the top two but went out too wide on the course, caught an edge and fell over to be out of the running.
His official finish position was 10th while Pullin was 17th.
"I set up the first heat really well, I got out in front and took a little glance behind halfway down the course to see I had Seth under control and made sure he wasn't going to get through," Pullin said.
"I came into a really critical section and there was quite a bit of soft snow and just sort of ... flipped an edge and didn't quite make the feature the way I wanted to."
Hayler said he overcommitted on a banked turn.
"As I was going into the real bumpy section of that corner I just hit a few too many and couldn't hold on to my edge - and just like that it was all over," he said.
