That athlete was Hayley Tullett, a 30-year-old who has slogged away for seven years and was so amazed by her 1500m bronze. This final-day surprise matched the unexpected medals for Kelly Holmes and Darren Campbell yet couldn't conceal widespread underachievement.
The deflation was summed up by the men's sprint relay. Silver in a final in which a makeshift US squad's bungled changeovers should have spelt gold. Dwain Chambers took the baton a stride ahead of American 200m specialist Joshua Johnson and led by a metre with 40m left. Fourth in the 100m, Chambers knew he should not lose but, as in the individual race, tightened and was edged out.
Max Jones, UK Athletics performance director, offered familiar reasons: injury, bad luck, the toll of last year's programme and ever-improved competition - 23 countries produced champions.
Fair enough, just as was his claim that "last year was great and you don't go from hero to zero in one year". He says we will still hit the target of seven medals in next year's Olympics and, brushing aside suggestions that his head will be called for, is now off to Cyprus to prepare the team's holding camp. "I'm not despondent; Athens starts on Thursday."
Yet his Edmonton "blip" now looks dangerously like a trend. A detailed investigation will be held in October with Jones suggesting one outcome will be more concentration on preparing the cream, just as the Swedes, who won five medals including two gold, do.
Perhaps, though, we've been spoiled by a golden generation. Jonathan Edwards's retirement here reminds us that era is almost over. For all that Jones enthuses about the new wave, there's been little evidence here that they're equipped with the same champion's mentality which no amount of lottery money can instill.
"We accept our accountability but the ultimate accountability is with the athletes when they step alone on the track. Either you have a strong mind and self-belief or you haven't," said UK Athletics president Lynn Davies, as an Olympic champion a man who should know.
The Olympics will show if the new kids on the blocks really have it in them to follow men such as him. "Next year is the massive judgment but we'll be successful in Athens," said UK Athletics chief executive David Moorcroft. One suspects he will stand or fall on that vow.
