Notable successes and several poignant near-misses have marked India’s journey in the Olympic Games. The following article explores six major instances where Indian athletes finished fourth at the Olympics, just shy of the podium. Each case highlights the competitive nature of the Olympics and the narrow margins that distanced these athletes from achieving medal glory.
At the 1960 Rome Olympics, Milkha Singh, famously known as the “Flying Sikh,” delivered a stellar performance in the men’s 400 meters. Despite breaking the Asian record with his remarkable run, Singh finished just outside the medals, ending in fourth position. This near miss was a memorable moment in Indian sports history, highlighting the nation’s near triumph on the global stage. Milkha Singh’s performance showcased his exceptional talent and left a lasting impact on Indian athletics, underlining the challenges of reaching the Olympic podium and setting a benchmark for future Indian athletes.
– Milkha Singh at the Olympics
2. Football – Men’s Football team (1956 Melbourne Olympics)
The Indian men’s football team came agonizingly close to a podium finish at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, where they competed in the bronze medal match. After a standout performance in the quarter-finals against the Australian team, where Neville D’Souza made history as the first Asian to score a hat-trick at the Olympics, India advanced to the semi-finals but lost to Yugoslavia. In the bronze medal match, India fell 3-0 to Bulgaria, ultimately finishing in fourth spot. This narrow miss was the last time the Indian football team, during what was considered its golden era, reached the semi-finals and had an opportunity to win an Olympic medal.
– Indian Football Team at the Melbourne Olympics (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
3. Tennis – Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna (2016 Rio Olympics)
In the 2016 Rio Olympics, the mixed doubles team of Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna came close to securing a medal in Tennis. They advanced to the semi-finals but lost a closely contested match against the American pair of Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram. However, their subsequent defeat in the bronze medal match ultimately denied them from securing a coveted place on Olympic podium.
Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna at Rio Olympics
(Photo: Rohan’s Twitter handle)
4. Gymnastics – Dipa Karmakar (2016 Rio Olympics)
In the 2016 Rio Olympics, Indian gymnast Dipa Karmakar narrowly missed out on a medal with a fourth-place finish in the women’s vault final. Karmakar, who was only the fifth gymnast in history to land the difficult Produnova vault, delivered a breathtaking performance but scored 15.066. This was a mere 0.15 points behind Giulia Steingruber of Switzerland, who secured the bronze medal with a score of 15.216. Karmakar’s performance highlighted her remarkable skill and the narrow margin that defines Olympic competition.
I still remember the rush I felt on this day at the Rio Olympics 2016. The biggest dream came true for someone who came from Agartala and decided that Gymnastics would be life. I am humbled, privileged and thankful to have represented India and received all the love pic.twitter.com/VH94SrjV14
Dipa Karmakar at Rio Olympics 2016 (Photo: Dipa’s Twitter handle)
5. Hockey – Women’s Hockey team (2020 Tokyo Olympics)
The Indian Women’s Hockey team achieved a historic performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. They reached the semi-finals but lost the respective semi-final match against Argentina. After failing to secure a final berth they played a gripping bronze medal match against Great Britain but unfortunately lost by a 3-4 score line. Despite their valiant effort, the team finished in fourth place, missing out on the bronze medal by a whisker. This was indeed a significant moment for Women’s hockey in India, highlighting the team’s progress and the narrow margins of Olympic competition.
Indian Women’s Hockey Team (Photo: Savita Punia’s Twitter handle)
6. Golf – Aditi Ashok (2020 Tokyo Olympics)
During the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Indian golfer Aditi Ashok performed exceptionally well in the women’s golf event. She remained a strong contender for a medal throughout the tournament. However, a disappointing final-round score denied her from winning a historic Olympic medal that could have reshaped the landscape of Indian golf.
Reflecting on the fourth-place finishes, it’s quite evident that these missed opportunities hold real significance in the context of Indian sports. Consider, for instance, the narrow miss by the Indian football team in 1956, which could have transformed the trajectory of the sport in India. Instead, it led to a decline and the failure to qualify for the Olympics post-1960. Similarly, Milkha Singh’s 1960 close call in athletics remains unmatched, and Deepa Karmakar’s 2016 performance left Indian gymnastics without another Olympic finalist since.
In the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Indian contingent narrowly missed out on several medal opportunities, with six fourth-place finishes emphasizing the team’s close calls at the Games. Notably, Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen’s fourth-position finish prevented him from making history as the first male Indian badminton player to win an Olympic medal. Similarly, the mixed team archery duo of Dhiraj Bommadevara and Ankita Bhakat fell just short of securing India’s first-ever Olympic medal in Archery. These instances illustrate how winning a medal could have greatly impacted the growth and popularity of these sports in India.
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