Jordan Burroughs overcome with sorrow after upset: 'It hurts me'

In the same way it's celebrated as it aids an Olympic champion, stories of sacrifice are difficult to digest when the payoff never comes.

Defending Olympic champion wrestler Jordan Burroughs proved that notion Friday, when the American poured his heart out after his shocking quarterfinal dismissal at the hands of Russia's Aniuar Geduev.

Yahoo Sports' Jeff Passan reports:

It's a lot, man. I feel like I let my family down, my kids. I missed a lot of important milestones in my children's lives to pursue this sport. I didn't see my son walk for the first time. I've left my wife at home with two kids for long periods of time to go to training camps, to foreign countries. She did that joyfully, not begrudgingly, because she knew on days like these I always fulfilled my end. Now I feel like I let her down. I let her down, I let my family down. This is supposed to be my year. This is supposed to be my breakthrough performance that cemented me as a legend in the sport. And it almost retracted my position in the sport. It hurts me. It hurts me a lot, man. It hurts.

The U.S. star and heavy favorite to repeat in the event lost just twice in his previous 133 matches before being eliminated with consecutive defeats.