India’s gymnast Dipa Karmakar missed her country’s first medal at the Rio Olympics by just 0.15 points. The 23-year-old Dipa, who had become the first Indian woman gymnast to qualify for the Olympics, scored an average of 15.066 points behind the eventual bronze winner Giulia Steingruber (15.216) of Switzerland on Sunday.
Just 0.15 points more, and Karmakar and India could have had the perfect Independence Day, but it was not to be. Ah! the fourth place again.
The fourth place is a very peculiar position as one after doing everything needed, just isn’t able to complete the final step required for a medal. And unfortunately, India has had a lot of experience with the fourth place at the Olympics over the years.
The Quint takes a look at the five most agonising fourth place finishes at the Olympics by Indians.
1. Milkha Singh
Milkha Singh’s fourth place finish in the 400m event at the 1960 Olympic Games is probably the most painful of them all. The Flying Sikh entered the race as one of the favourites and also began his race very well.
But after leading the race for 250m, he slowed down and looked back. This mistake cost him the race.
2. PT Usha
India’s runner PT Usha probably came the closest to winning an Olympic medal in athletics for India in the 1984 Games.
Usha, who finished first in the semi-final of the women’s 400 m hurdles, missed the bronze medal by 1/100th of a second in the finals.
Romania’s Cristieana Cojocaru, who won the bronze medal, finished the race in 55.41 seconds and Usha finished her race in 55.42 seconds.
3. Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi
The Indian express, as they were fondly called, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi finished agonisingly at the fourth place in the men’s doubles event at the 2004 Games.
After going past big pairs like Mardy Fish-Andy Roddick and Yves Allegro-Roger Federer in the competition, the Indian pair went down to the German team of Nicholas Kiefer and Rainer Schuttler in the semi-final.
They gave tough competition to the Croatian team of Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic in the bronze medal match but eventually lost the match 6-7, 6-4, 14-16.
4. Men’s Football Team
The Indian men’s football team after beating Australia 4-2 in the quarter-final of the 1956 Olympics, entered the semi-final against Yugoslavia brimming with confidence.
India’s star player Neville D’Souza put Indian on course for a medal after putting his side ahead in the 52nd minute. But then the Yugoslavian onslaught began. The opponents scored four goals and won the match 4-1.
In the bronze medal match, Bulgaria thrashed India 3-0.
5. Abhinav Bindra
India’s only individual Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra came very close to a medal in his last Olympics at Rio this year but unfortunately missed it by 0.5 points in the 10 metre air rifle event.
Bindra after being tied at the third place with Ukrainian marksman S Kulish in the finals, the Indian shooter and the Ukranian had a shoot-out to reach the medal round.
Bindra shot 10 points but unfortunately for India and the shooter, Kulish shot 10.5 points and stayed in contention for a medal.
The most celebrated Indian Olympian had to settle for a fourth place.
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