The phenomenon of the fourth place in sport through the social and media prism: the Olympic and Paralympic Games

The complexity of everyday life, which brings countless challenges, confrontations, obstacles and, of course, beautiful moments, certainly goes beyond the simplified picture that is visible in the public only on the basis of the final “product”. Sport is a segment of society in which the result is clearly visible, and on the basis of which those more or less successful are ranked, but there is a harsh limit beyond which the effort invested is incomparably less appreciated and the achieved result is not adequately valued in society and the media. That dividing line is usually placed before the fourth place and is symbolized by the medals and other awards to those who place above and the certainty of sinking into oblivion for the others. Through research on Yugoslav and Serbian athletes whose greatest achievement at the Olympic and Paralympic Games was the fourth place (a total of 75 Olympic and 13 Paralympic athletes) and also through subsequent conversations with some of them, this global phenomenon, which permeates the world of sports and other segments of society, comes into the limelight. At the same time, through this work, the exceptional results of the athletes from this region are saved from oblivion. Looking at the answers to the key question, it is obvious that the interviewees mostly feel regret, i.e. regret for the missed opportunity to win a medal, often mixed with the feelings of pride, especially when their results are viewed from today’s perspective, bearing in mind that athletes think of the Games as the greatest event in sports. “Being fourth” is an everlasting phenomenon having no end and no unique conclusion, getting new heroes again and again.