Nick Baumgartner of the United States celebrates after a run during the men's snowboard cross semifinals at Phoenix Snow Park at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2018. Today, Baumgartner, 40, will kick off action at his fourth Olympics. Gregory Bull/AP file photo

Iron River’s Nick Baumgartner came up short today in his pursuit of an Olympic medal at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, eliminated after finishing third in his men’s snowboardcross quarterfinal.

Only the top two advanced to the next round. In the finals, Alessandro Haemmerle of Austria held off Eliot Grondin of Canada in a photo finish to win the gold, with Omar Visintin of Italy earned the bronze.

Baumgartner had been leading at points in race but, according to the NBC commentators, mistimed a jump to slip back to third in the last stretch of the race.

At age 40 the oldest male athlete on Team USA, Baumgartner was visibly emotional in an interview with NBC after the finish.

“Heartbreak. I don’t think people know how much we put into this. I put so much time and effort and then one little mistake and it’s gone,” Baumgartner said. “I’m 40 years old, I mean, I’m running out of chances. I’ve got such, so much support back home and I feel like I let them down. This one stings, this one hurts.”

Asked about his future in the sport, Baumgartner quickly said, “Naw, I ain’t stopping on this. I got to do something better to end with. Aw man, I just feel bad, just so much effort and it’s just a big letdown and, I mean, I’ll keep going. I mean, it’s what we do, fight through the adversity. But this one stings, this one stings a lot.”

Baumgartner is competing in his fourth Winter Olympics, finishing fourth and just out of the medals at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

He had come into Beijing with two World Cup podiums finishes in the past three months.