Yelena Isinbayeva pushed her gamesmanship one step too far on Tuesday and crashed out of the world women's pole vault, a competition won by Brazil's Fabiana Murer.
Murer, who was fifth at the Berlin worlds in 2009, managed a best of 4.85m, with Germany's Martina Strutz taking silver (4.80m) and Russian Svetlana Feofanova claiming bronze (4.75).
Isinbayeva had to be content with a hugely disappointing sixth placing after just one successful vault.
The two-time Olympic and double world champion was in Daegu seeking revenge after failing to record a height in the finals of the Berlin worlds.
She had looked in good form in the heats, albeit landing just one vault at 4.55m to qualify, but she overplayed her hand in the final.
The 29-year-old, whose world record stands at 5.06m, came in at 4.65m and sailed over. Passing at 4.70m, she then bumped the bar off at 4.75, but rather than retrying at that height went up to 4.80.
Her first attempt at 4.80 was no better, Isinbayeva brushing the bar with her stomach to leave herself screaming en route down to the mat.
A final attempt at the same height after those two failures saw the Russian not even get close to the bar and she was left to wave briefly to the crowd and exit the runway before pulling a blue cap hard down over her head.
She promptly gathered up her belongings, muttering to herself all along, turned her back on the ongoing competition and left the stadium.