Liu Xiang, the defending Olympic 110m Hurdles champion, pulled out of Monday's race with an Achilles injury, and was immediately thrown out of China.
Xiang, who was expected to be China's best hope for an athletics gold medal, had drawn support from all areas of the vast nation, some people having travelled thousands of miles just to see him.
As he warmed up though, it was plain to see he was in agony. He tried to run and jump, but couldn't, and was led away from the track by Communist officials.
Once out of the prying eyes of the world, Xiang was bundled into a truck, taken straight to the border, and expelled from the country forever.
It's a sad end to the Games, and his life, for Xiang, who had been in good form leading up to the Games.
Chinese Olympic Communists later said Xiang had gone to Mongolia to "recuperate".
