Agony of Fourth Place: India’s Near Misses in Olympic History

India has had several near misses at the Olympics, starting from 1956. Athletes from different sports, including football, athletics, hockey, tennis, weightlifting, shooting, gymnastics, and golf, have come agonizingly close to winning medals, only to finish fourth, leaving a legacy of both agony and inspiration.

It's often said that finishing fourth in the Olympics is peak agony.

If coming last carries the sting of embarrassment, securing the fourth place inflicts the pain of being so near yet so far, something that can either drive an athlete to future glory or leave them completely crushed.

India's affair with near misses at sport's grandest stage has been a long-standing one, beginning way back in 1956.

The Indian football team made the semifinals after beating hosts Australia 4-2 in the quarterfinals of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, with Neville D'Souza becoming the first Asian to score a hat-trick at the Games. Despite this achievement, India lost in the semifinals and the bronze medal match.

Legendary athlete Milkha Singh missed out on a bronze by the narrowest of margins in the 1960 Rome Olympics. His error in the 400m final has haunted him for life. Despite almost quitting, Milkha later won two gold medals in the 1962 Asian Games.

In the 1980 Moscow Games, the Indian women's hockey team narrowly missed a podium finish, ending behind Zimbabwe, Czechoslovakia, and the hosts. Similarly, PT Usha's near miss in the 1984 LA Olympics remains one of India's closest-ever misses. The 'Payyoli Express' finished fourth in the 400m hurdles by just 1/100th of a second.

Other notable near misses include the 2004 Athens Games where Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi missed a bronze in tennis doubles. Kunjarani Devi finished fourth in women's weightlifting at the same Games.

In more recent times, Joydeep Karmakar's fourth place in shooting during the 2012 London Games, Dipa Karmakar's fourth in gymnastics, and Abhinav Bindra's near miss in shooting at the 2016 Rio Games are still fresh in memory. The Indian women's hockey team once again endured heartbreak in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by finishing fourth, along with golfer Aditi Ashok.