Spooner finished fifth from eight in group C of the men's 69kg division yesterday, struggling to clear 123kg in the snatch before recovering somewhat to lift 158kg in the clean and jerk to total 281kg.
The group was won by Chinthana Vidanage of Sri Lanka, who was third equal after the snatch but lifted 165kg in the clean and jerk to secure victory with a total of 293kg.
The top two groups, including favourite Liao Hui -- who totalled 355kg to win the Chinese trial -- and Athens 62kg gold medalist Shi Zhiyong, compete late today to decide the final placings in the 30-strong field.
Heading into today's competition, Spooner had a personal best of 289kg, and had hoped to top that along the way to a top 16 finish.
Now he is targeting the Commonwealth championships in Cyprus later this year and then next year's world championships, and expects his Olympic experience will improve his performances in both events.
Team coach Ari Moilanen told NZPA that although Spooner was disappointed with his showing yesterday, it was important to focus on the long-term development of his weightlifting career.
"The boys (Spooner and Richard Patterson) here have achieved their target -- to be at the Olympic Games. Everything they did here was a bonus."
Moilanen said the next big competition for Spooner was the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and then London Olympics in 2012.
He believed Spooner, 23, had the ability to become a world-class lifter.
"He has all those things in his body and in his mind to become a very good lifter. And he never gives up."
Spooner's coach Richard Dryden said the most disappointing aspect of his performance yesterday had been that it went against the form he had shown in training.
"The build-up for Mark had been his best ever towards a competition -- he'd done numerous PBs in training in squats, lifts and jerks. But you just can't account for atmosphere and underlying pressure on the day.
"The snatch was probably the most disappointing for him, it wasn't a good start. He said it felt lacking and a little bit soft overhead -- it didn't quite have the snap he would have liked."
Patterson contests the men's 77kg group tomorrow afternoon (NZT).
