The fourth place in Olympics

The fourth place.

Gold Silver Bronze.

Every Gold medal winner is happy. But do you know, the Silver medalist’s are less happy than bronze medalist’s. They are unhappy about missing gold while the bronze medallist is happy to be on the podium. Have we ever wondered what happens to the fourth place athlete in olympics? The world is sometimes cruel. We live in a society where winner takes it all. But let's spare a thought for people who are really good, but sometimes can't make the final step. There are countless world champion gymnasts swimmers track and field athletes who are not fortunate to win even a bronze medal.

Roger Bannister the first man to run a mile under 4 mins and a legend finished 4th place in 1952 olympics. Milka Singh and PT Usha fastest Asian male and female sprinters respectively got 4th place in Olympics. Soccer legend, Pele, voted the athlete of last century never won an Olympic medal.

Latest example. Novak Djokovic won 24 grand slams. Participated in 5 olympics so far. 3 times he lost in semis and did not even win a single bronze medal. Once in 2008 he won Bronze medal. The great Novak Djokovic was in 4th place for most of his 20 years.

Today, Aug 4th, he won a gold medal for Serbia after 20 years in Paris olympics ! That is olympics for one of the greatest athletes on the planet. Leander Paes, tennis hall of fame Indian, competed in 7 olympics, that's over 28 years and got only one bronze medal.

Now we have so many people in India complaining why, for example, Deepika Kumari (Archery) participating in 4 olympics and did not win any medal. She gets unfairly trolled. Guys wake up. There are almost 200 countries. And millions of archers. She is in the top 10 of her sport in the last 4 olympics to become an Olympian first. Even to be a Olympian is a feat by itself. And 4 times in a row for almost 16 years. Why are you not applauding that?

Which participant does NOT want to win an Olympic medal for the country? I hope that we understand that even Olympians who don’t get medals, are not to be side lined, they do not deserve to be degraded or humiliated, instead they deserve our support as well.

To Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain, Dipa Karmakar, Manika Batra, Sharath Kamal, Sania Mirza, Vijay Amritraj and Deepika Kumari who has represented our nation as a Olympian (but not won any Olympic medal) - Respect and Salute. 

In business too, not everyone gets to be the top boss in every company. There are hundreds of others who are as good but might not make it to the top. Failure is not opposite of winning. It's not doing your best. Everyone who puts thier best deserves, every one of them, deserves our respect and salute.

BTW, Djoker has the last laugh now, as people compared him, relentlessly with
Federer and Nadal. Not only he has more grand slams but also an Olympic Gold as a 37 year old, showing what a great athlete he is, in the fiercely competitive sport of Tennis. If they say nice guys finish last, Novak Djokovic says, the last (4th place) guy finished nice too.


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