LONDON — Dremiel Byers was at a loss for words after his rapid departure from Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling competition.

“I really don’t know what to say,” Byers said. “It just hurts.”

Byers, who wrestled at 264.5 pounds, was not alone in his troubles. Ellis Coleman (132 pounds) lost his opening match, and Chas Betts (185) was knocked out in the second round.

Byers’ failure to medal was especially painful. Byers, a sergeant first class at Fort Carson, has won gold, silver and bronze medals in the World Championships. He has yet to win an Olympic medal.

He turns 38 in September, leaving the question if he will try to compete in Rio in 2016.

“I’m not scared,” Byers said when asked about his Olympic plans.

Coach Steve Fraser said Byers he’s “not sure” what Byers will do.

“I’m not sure if he’s going to go forward or retire,” Fraser said.

Byers had poor luck in the draw. After defeating Uzbekistan’s Muminjon Abdullaev 1-0, 2-0, Byers faced 2011 world champ Riza Kayaalp of Turkey. The match was close, but Kayaalp powered to a 1-0, 1-0 win.

That left Byers needing a Kayaalp victory to remain alive. If Kayaalp had won the next round, Byers would have been placed in the repechage, wrestling’s version of the losers bracket.

Unfortunately for Byers, Kayaalp next faced defending Olympic champion and three-time world champion Mijain Lopez of Cuba. Kayaalp lost, which meant Byers was eliminated.

Betts was disappointed by the adversity Byers faced.

“Man, his draw was brutal,” Betts said. “No one ever wants to talk about draws, but that was a tough, tough draw.”

Betts said he hopes Byers will continue.

“I’m pulling for him because I know he’s one of the best in the world, and he always has been,” Betts said. “He’s still the No. 1 guy in the U.S. I don’t see him leaving until somebody beats him.”

Betts opened competition with a 6-0, 1-0 victory over Micronesia’s Keitani Graham, but fell in the next round to Cuba’s Pablo Shorey Hernandez, 1-0, 1-0. Hernandez was later pinned by Poland’s Damian Janikowski, which ended Betts’ chances to advance.

“My whole wrestling career comes to moments like these,” Betts said a few hours after his final match. “I was hoping to do better. … Today just wasn’t my day.”

Coleman lost in the opening round to Bulgaria’s Ivo Angelov 1-0, 7-1 and was eliminated when Angelov lost to Iran’s Omid Noroozi in the second round.

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