podcastsinenglish Level 3.191 Coming fourth
Aug 29, 2024
The hosts dive into the agony of coming fourth, exploring Josh Tarling’s heartbreaking near-miss and the reactions from the press. They discuss the emotional toll on athletes like Adam Burgess and Bruno Fratus, highlighting the mental health struggles faced by non-medalists. The stigma of finishing second also gets a spotlight, with Bill Shankly's tough perspective on winning. Finally, they grapple with the role of competitive school sports—do they nurture character or create harmful pressure?
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Near-Miss Examples From Athletes
- Josh Tarling lost at least 15 seconds due to a crash and finished fourth, just 2.16 seconds off bronze.
- Adam Burgess also came fourth and joked he didn't know whether to burn or frame his certificate.
Emotional Toll Of Missing A Medal
- Bruno Fratus described living in a "really dark valley" after finishing fourth in London 2012.
- Martin Van Riel said he felt lost and that no one cared when he came fourth in Tokyo 2020.
Mental-Health Awareness Changes The Impact
- Greater awareness of athletes' mental health now would lessen the pain of near-misses.
- Public memory rewards medalists forever while fourth-place finishes are quickly forgotten.