Remember The Devastating Moment Jane Saville Was Disqualified At The Sydney 2000 Games?

Let's never forget Sydney 2000.

Back in 2000, the former IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch proclaimed the Sydney Olympics was the best games ever.

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It delivered so many memorable moments: Cathy Freeman winning the 400m in front of a packed Stadium Australia. The Aussies smashing the Americans in the 4 × 100m men's freestyle relay. Goosebumps. What a high!

And then this happened.

Australian Olympic Committee / Via smh.com.au

Australian race walker Jane Saville was disqualified just metres from entering a packed stadium where she was set to win gold.

Australian Olympic Committee / Via smh.com.au

This was the exact moment Saville was red carded and ultimately disqualified from the 20km race. Her face says it all. 💔

It’s a soul-crushing moment… but that image of a distraught Saville is one of the most iconic of the Sydney games. It’s immortalised in Australian sporting history.

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Saville was disqualified after a third penalty for an illegal gait, or "lifting" in race walking terms, 200 metres from the finish line and in front of a home crowd no less.

The country’s heart broke with her that day.

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"That's life, that's racewalking unfortunately. What can I say, it's bitterly disappointing," an exhausted Saville told a reporter after her disqualification.

Four years later Saville headed to Athens, where she won bronze in the 20km race walk event! ❤️

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What a ride.