2012 Summer Olympics: Biggest Disappointments from Day 5

Day 5 of the 2012 Summer Olympics was filled with breathtaking performances and moments of excitement.

Where there's success, there's also failure, and there were several heartbreaking moments during the fifth day of competition. 

What follows are 10 of the day's huge disappointments.

Is there anything you think should have made the cut?

Badminton Match-Throwing Scandal

Eight women’s badminton players were charged by badminton’s governing body on Aug. 1 with throwing matches to get an easier draw in the next round.

Four pairs from the women's doubles competition—one each from China and Indonesia and two from South Korea—may be disciplined after the Badminton World Federation (BWF) takes action. 

The players have been charged with, via The Himalayan, "not using one's best efforts to win a match" and "conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport."

Spectators booed the players after they looked to deliberately hit the shuttlecock too long and wide and purposely served into the net.

"But it's particularly embarrassing that it should happen in an Olympics,” former Olympic silver medalist Nathan Robertson of Britain said in an interview with The Himalayan. “It's time the BWF took a strong stand. And maybe the IOC will consider whether this is in breach of the Olympic code of fair play."

Team USA Fails to Medal in Eight-Man Rowing

It has been a rough year for the U.S. men’s rowing team. 

For the first time in U.S. eight rowing history, the men failed to directly qualify for the Olympics. They only made it after winning a final qualification regatta in May.

They hoped to redeem themselves in the eight final but ultimately fell short of the podium.

The crew finished 0.3 seconds behind third-place Great Britain.

Team USA was fifth with 500 meters left. The U.S. covered the last 500 more than two seconds faster than the third-place Brits but ran out of water.

“It feels horrible,” said Giuseppe Lanzone in an interview with Amy Shipley of The Washington Post, “it’s painful. Whether you come close or not, we didn’t get a medal.”

American Brady Ellison Eliminated in Men’s Archery

Brady Ellison entered the Lord’s Cricket Ground calm and confident for a basic elimination match. 

A favorite for the gold medal, Ellison shocked himself and the world when he was defeated by Australia's Taylor Worth, 7-1, in the round of 16.

Ellison was the top-ranked archer in the world and has 35 victories in his 37 matches before the Olympics.

Ellison struggled to judge the wind from shot to shot and Worth outshot him.

"Well, I'm...to say I'm disappointed is the least I can do,'' Ellison said in an interview with Mike McCabe of USA Today. "It just sucks.''

China’s Ding Ning’s Table Tennis Loss

The 22-year-old Ding Ning of China was considered the favorite in women’s table tennis. She was ranked No. 1 in the game, but Li Xiaoxia defeated her, 4-1, in an all-China final.

Li has been known in China as "Ms. No. 2" because of the matches she has lost to Ding, including the final in last year’s world championship. 

Ding still has a winning record against Li in official matches (6-5). 

However, this is the competition which means the most and it left Ding very disappointed.

U.S. Women's Water Polo Slip into Tie

It looked like the U.S. women's water polo team had a sure win as they were up 9-6 against Spain in a preliminary-round game Wednesday.

The American women gave up three goals in the final three minutes of play and had to claim a 9-9 tie with Spain.

The U.S. women had a strong start to the tournament, winning their opening game, 14-13, on Monday. 

The tie between them left the U.S. and Spain tied for second in the Group A standings behind Hungary.

Team USA faces China on Friday in the final game of group play.

USA Gymnast John Orozco Doesn’t Perform

The U.S. men’s gymnastics team had high expectations this Olympics, and John Orozco was a front-runner of the charge.

The 19-year-old gymnast from the Bronx had hopes to defy all odds, as he comes from an atypical gymnastics background.

Orozco, who was selected to the team because of his consistent performances, made major mistakes on the pommel horse and vault during team finals Monday and failed to rebound in the all-around finals Wednesday.

He erred again on the pommel horse and cried after the mishap. Orozco finished eighth, never close to a podium slot.

Japan's Kosuke Kitajima Misses out on History

Japan's Kosuke Kitajima had the makings of a perfect story. 

He wanted to be the first man to win the same event in three successive Olympics. Kitajima won the 200-meter breaststroke at the Athens and Beijing Games. For the first few laps in the 2012 final on Wednesday it looked like the three-peat was within reach. He came up short, though, and placed fourth.

It was his final chance to make history. His first try came in the 100-meter breaststroke, which he also won in 2004 and 2008, but he missed out. 

Michael Phelps might be the first swimmer to win the three-peat. He failed in his first two events—the 400-meter individual medley and the 200-meter butterfly—but has a shot in the 200-meter individual medley and 100-meter butterfly. 

Swiss Cycling Hero Can't Defend Gold

Switzerland's Fabian Cancellara, one of cycling's most famous names, finished just seventh in the time trial on Wednesday after being unable to overcome the effects of a crash he was in during Saturday's road race

Cancellara, the 2008 champion, struggled to finish seventh, 2:14.0 slower than winner Bradley Wiggins.

Cancellara said in an interview with Cycling News:

"

I think I've just done my best and in sport that's what counts. Today and when you're competing in the Olympics, it would have been too easy to say I'd go home and watch from home. I prepared so much for these days and most of the last few hours I'd recovered well and I was in good hands, but to win an to win medals you need to have better days.

"

American Flag-Bearer Mariel Zagunis Misses Sabre Medal

Mariel Zagunis walked into these Olympics as the American flag-bearer and the two-time defending gold medalist in the fencing's sabre competition. She'll walk out with no new individual medal.

Zagunis lost leads in her semifinal and then in the bronze-medal match for a dispiriting finish after many years of being the discipline's top force.

USA Boxing Collapse

USA Boxing has had a rough run, and it has not gotten any better lately.

America won 10 golds in the boycotted 1984 games but only boasts two from the past 20 years.

USA boxing didn't hire head coach Basheer Abdullah until a month before the games.

The Americans lost all three of their fights on Wednesday, making fans long for the glory days of 1976 and 1984. They're down to just four male boxers in the tournament, along with three women whose competition lies ahead.