A 'Biggest Loser' first: One player walks out

Top players from “Biggest Loser’s” past — including season five winner Ali, season nine contender Sam and season seven powerhouse Tara — paid inspirational visits to the often waffling current cast of the weight-loss competition during Tuesday’s night episode.

The results? A waffler still waffled.

The first hint that something wasn’t quite right happened shortly after the weekly challenge, wherein contestants put their car-pulling prowess up against the almost always unbeatable Tara. One of the prizes up for grabs was every athlete’s dream come true — a coveted spot on the front of the Wheaties box. That prize seemed to particularly appeal to gold medallist Rulon, who never got a shot at that honor in past.

“This is redemption time,” he boasted.

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Or not.

As it turned out, Rulon won’t be getting that honor in the near future, either. In what came down to a photo finish, Tara won the race. And Rulon? Well, he lost more than the race. Sometime after the challenge, he lost his will to compete all together.

“I didn’t come here to create a relationship with anybody,” Rulon said. “I came here to learn about a lot of my issues. … I think, for the most part, I’m ready to go home.”

Evidently, by “for the most part,” Rulon really meant “totally.” By the time he hit the scales, he had a short speech prepared.

“This is my last time on the scales,” he said. “At this time, I’m asking to leave ‘The Biggest Loser’ for personal reasons. That’s it.”

Rulon’s fellow contestants, the same ones he “didn’t come (there) to make relationships with,” appeared blindsided, if not disappointed, by the move. But Rulon offered no further explanation about his “personal reasons.”

With that, the former Olympian made “Loser” history. Plenty of players have talked about quitting and thrown weigh-ins to secure a roundabout way to do so , but none have ever just walked off without any pretense and taken themselves out of the running for the at-home competition, too.

As Jillian remarked, “That is so strange.”

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Of course, just because Rulon decided it was his time to go didn’t mean that it wasn’t someone else’s time to go, too. After the big guy bailed, the rest of the players stepped on the scale to find out their fates.

In the end, Kaylee, who put on a memorable almost-quitting performance in the past, was voted out of the game after gaining two pounds.

Ree Hines can’t help but wonder if Rulon would have left if he’d won that spot on the Wheaties box. Ah, well. Team Tara! Follow @ReeHines and tell her what you think.