"What's wrong with 4th place?" Fourth place shone as brightly as medals

Uh Haram Achieves Korea's Best Olympic Diving Result, Fruit of Enjoyable Training
Men's High Jump Korean Record Usanghyeok "You Jump Better When It's Fun"
Men's Gymnastics Floor Exercise Ryuseonghyeon & Weightlifting Women's 87kg Lee Seonmi "Learned a Lot"
Missing Medals but Showing Sportsmanship, Isohi-Shinseungchan "You Can Be Happy Freely"

In the movie '4th Place (2015)', juvenile swimmer Junho (Yoo Jae-sang) always finishes in 4th place. His mother (Lee Hang-na), obsessed with medals, entrusts his education to the strict coach Kwang-soo (Park Hae-joon). Even if her son is covered in bruises, standing on the podium is the priority. Watching the 2020 Tokyo Olympics might change that perspective. The 4th-place finishers, just as admirable as the medalists, are smiling brightly. They enjoy the competition without regrets or lingering attachments and look forward to a better tomorrow. Like Junho, who smiled freely feeling the freedom in swimming. "What's wrong with being 4th?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 3rd, in the men's 3m springboard diving final, Woo Ha-ram (23, Korea Sports Promotion Foundation) finished 4th with a total score of 481.85 points over six rounds, saying, "Being 4th in the Olympics itself is an honor." Fourth place is the highest Olympic achievement in Korean diving history. Woo Ha-ram edged out 5th place Evgeny Kuznetsov (Russia, 461.90 points) by a remarkable 19.95 points, coming close to the medal zone. This achievement was made purely by immersing himself in the joy of diving. During his days at Busan Sajik Elementary School, he practiced aerial moves repeatedly beside the 5m diving pool using mats and trampolines. While others were afraid, it was a fun game for him. Woo Ha-ram could focus on training only after the Jincheon Athlete Village swimming pool was completed in 2012. Despite the poor environment without even a trainer, he overcame it by studying injury treatments. Thanks to that, he developed a strong stamina capable of competing in up to five events. His bold and stylish aerial moves are also the result of his own efforts. He dove seventy times daily and trained underwater for two hours. "I trained enough to say I worked harder than others. I haven't won a medal yet. I won't be satisfied with just being the 'first.'"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 1st, Woo Sang-hyeok (25, Republic of Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps), who finished 4th in the men's high jump final, is also an optimist. Although he did not win a medal, he cleared 2.35m and smiled broadly. It was not because he broke Lee Jin-taek's Korean record of 2.34m set in June 1997 at the National Championships after 24 years. It was because he confirmed the possibility of achieving even higher records. "The next Olympics are three years away. I used to aim for a bronze medal, but after competing, I realized a gold medal is possible. A confidence I never had before has ignited." This statement comes from enjoying high jump. He did not blame the poor training environment. With passion and determination, he steadied his mind and flew into the sky dozens of times a day. So even in the final, where pressure and burden must have been great, he could smile while chanting to himself, "Let's go," and "Let's get on." When he failed at 2.39m, he shouted, "It's okay!" to comfort himself. "I always think you have to enjoy high jump. When you're in a good mood, you jump higher. It's ingrained in me."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 1st, Ryu Seong-hyun (19, Korea National Sport University), who finished 4th in the men's floor exercise final with a total score of 14.233, was also not obsessed with medals. He was satisfied with performing world-class difficulty skills and checked areas for improvement. "I learned a lot at the Olympics. I lost points because my foot twisted during a twisting move. I'll refine it and aim for better results next time." On the 2nd, Lee Seon-mi (21, Gangwon Provincial Office), who finished 4th in the women's 87kg weightlifting category with a total of 277kg, did not cry. Instead, she valued the precious experience. "It was my first time, so I was very nervous. Having competed against good athletes, I think I'll be less nervous next time."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

There were also 4th-place finishers who, despite missing medals, showed consideration for their opponents. On the 2nd, in women's doubles badminton, Lee So-hee and Shin Seung-chan (both 27, Incheon International Airport) lost 0-2 (10-21, 17-21) to Kim So-young (29, Incheon International Airport) and Gong Hee-yong (25, Jeonbuk Bank), missing out on the bronze medal. Immediately after the match, they embraced their opponents and congratulated them. Lee So-hee was neither resentful nor sad. "I felt sorry seeing them unable to fully enjoy the bronze medal because they had to face us. They can celebrate as much as they want." This warm humanity shone as brightly as the medals, marking a step forward for Korean sports. Truly a shining 4th place.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.