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'Heartbroken': Aussie breaks down in brutal Winter Olympics moment

Pictured here, Aussie moguls star Matt Graham breaks down in tear at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
Aussie moguls star Matt Graham was shattered after his Winter Olympics campaign came to a premature end. Pic: Getty

Australian moguls hopeful Matt Graham has broken down in tears in a devastating moment after a shock early exit at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Graham was looking for his second Olympic medal in the moguls after a silver in PyeongChang four years ago, but was left shattered after he failed to progress past the second qualifying round at the start of Saturday's competition.

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It wasn't all bad news for the Aussies, with Graham's teammate Cooper Woods over the moon to have finished sixth in the event in his debut Olympics campaign.

Woods' ecstasy was in stark contrast to Graham, who needed one of his best runs to advance to the final after bombing his first qualification run.

Sadly, the Aussie had one of his worst runs in the second qualifying round and was left heartbroken speaking to host broadcasters Channel Seven afterwards.

"This is the most pain and heartbreak I've ever felt," Graham said.

"A broken collarbone obviously hurt but this hurts a hell of a lot more.

"I'm pretty heartbroken, especially after the last Olympics being such a pinnacle and to feel such elations and satisfaction - I was chasing that feeling again."

Graham had an interrupted build-up to Beijing, breaking his collarbone during a World Cup in Sweden in December and returning home to Australia after surgery to recuperate.

While he didn't want to blame having six weeks off the snow, as well as complications when he developed a haematoma, it surely affected his performance.

"I'm happy that I'm here and just to be here is an achievement but I knew I could do so much better and really push the top guys tonight ... I just didn't execute."

The wind made conditions tricky and Graham said he misjudged the top jump.

"I went left out of the top air and was just chasing my tail the whole way down."

Cooper Woods makes final on Games debut

Graham's Aussie teammate Woods came into the Games eyeing a top 10 result and was thrilled to reach the super six final for only the second time in his short career - with perfect timing at the Olympics.

The 21-year-old qualified among the top six on Saturday night at Zhangkiakou to reach the medal round and confirm himself as one of the future stars of the sport.

Seen here, Australia's Cooper Woods-Topalovic reacts after his run in the freestyle skiing men's moguls final at the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Australia's Cooper Woods-Topalovic reacts after his run in the freestyle skiing men's moguls final at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Pic: Getty

He scored 78.88 in his final run as Swede Walter Wallberg, the last competitor to ski, posted 82.18 to win the gold medal in a surprise result, relegating defending Olympic champion Mikael Kingsbury to silver with a score of 82.18.

In a pulsating last round Japan's Ikuma Horishima scored 81.48 for the bronze medal.

"That was an awesome night," Woods said.

"It was something that I've been working toward since I was a young teenager.

"A goal I had in the back of my head was top 10 and I would have been extremely happy with that so to make it into the top six ... I'm lost for words."

Woods qualified fifth into the medal round while compatriot Brodie Summers was 10th out of the 12 competitors with 75.00 and missed out.

with AAP

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