Learn French: Je suis bouleversé que le champion ait raté cet exploit. - I am devastated that the champion missed this feat.

The phrase Je suis bouleversé que expresses a strong emotion, which requires the subjunctive mood. Because the champion missed the feat in the past (before the present feeling of being devastated), we use the past subjunctive (subjonctif passé). It is built using the present subjunctive of the helper verb (avoir -> ait) plus the past participle (raté).

How strong is the emotion expressed by bouleversé?

It is very strong! Bouleversé means devastated, deeply shaken, or overwhelmed. It carries much more weight than simply being sad (triste) or upset (contrarié), implying a deep emotional shock.

If I wanted to say I was devastated that I myself missed the feat, would I still use the past subjunctive?

No. When the subject of the emotion and the subject of the action are the same person, French avoids the subjunctive. Instead, you use de followed by the past infinitive: Je suis bouleversé d'avoir raté cet exploit. We only use que + subjunctive when the subjects are different, like 'I' and 'the champion' in this sentence.

Does exploit have a negative meaning in French, like taking advantage of something?

No, it is a partial false friend. While the English verb 'to exploit' is often negative, the French noun un exploit is highly positive. It means a remarkable feat, a great achievement, or a heroic deed, which is why the champion was trying to do it!