Winning a medal and standing on the Olympic podium is the dream every athlete lives for. However, for those who narrowly miss the medal, finishing just one step behind can be incredibly disheartening. In this article, we explore the stories of Indian athletes who have finished fourth in their events at the Olympics, coming agonizingly close to securing a coveted medal.
Indian atheletes who finished 4th in Olympics
Milkha Singh men’s 400m race, 1960 Rome Olympics
After a disappointing debut at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, Milkha Singh worked tirelessly towards the Rome Olympics. After advancing through the heats and semifinals, Milkha was ready for the final. Starting in lane five, he led the first 200 meters but a split-second decision to slow down at 250 meters proved costly. He missed a medal by micro sec to finish 4th in 1960.
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Dipa Karmakar, gymnastics, Rio Olympics 2016
Though, Dipa Karmakar did not win a medal in Rio Olympics, but her fourth place finish was a achievement in India as she was the first first Indian women gymnast to compete in the Olympics.
At the Rio Olympics, she attempted the Produnova, also known as the vault of death, scoring 15.266 in her second vault. Initially placing second, she eventually finished fourth, just 0.150 points behind Switzerland’s Giulia Steingruber.
Aditi Ashok, golf, Tokyo Olympics 2021
Golfer Aditi Ashok narrowly missed out on a medal in the women’s individual stroke play event, finishing in fourth place at the Tokyo Olympics. The 23-year-old was in contention for a medal right until the end but finished a shot behind Japan’s Mone Inami and Lydia Ko of New Zealand, respectively.
Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, Tennis, 2004 Athens Olympics
Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupati advanced to the semifinals of the men’s doubles at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Along the way, they defeated legends like Roger Federer. However, they lost to Croatia’s Mario Ančić and Ivan Ljubičić in the bronze medal match, finishing in fourth place.
Abhinav Bindra, shooting, Rio Olympics 2016
After winning India’s first individual gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Abhinav Bindra’s quest for a second Olympic medal ended in heartbreak. Competing in his fifth and final Olympics in Rio 2016, Bindra missed a medal in the men’s 10m air rifle event.
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