They came fourth

The anguish, frustration, and feeling of unfinished business when highly-driven athletes come fourth at an Olympic Games There are often just centimetres or seconds between a medal and fourth place, but some fourths are different to others If sprinter Zoe Hobbs lines up in the 100 metre final in Paris this year, her Olympic campaign will have been a success. Even if she doesn't climb the podium, her presence will be as good as gold. But if Dame Lisa Carrington comes fourth, the country will record it as a failure - New Zealand's most successful athlete won't be allowed an 'off' day. New Zealand athletes or teams have finished fourth 51 times in an Olympic final. Today on The Detail we talk to two Olympic athletes who've made it to the pinnacle of their sports, collected medals at Commonwealth Games and accolades elsewhere, but who fell just short of the podium on the biggest stage. Shot putter and discus thrower Val Young came fourth at both the Rome and Tokyo Olympics, in 1960 and 1964. (And fifth at the 1956 Melbourne games.) She was there in the infield, jumping and skipping with excitement as New Zealand experienced its golden hour - Peter Snell and Murray Halberg collecting gold medals within an hour of each other. Her shot putting event was on at the same time. She was ahead going into the last round but American Earlene Brown snuck in by an inch. Gold and silver went to Soviet and East German athletes in the days before the widespread drug-taking of those nations was exposed. In Tokyo all three athletes were from behind the Iron Curtain, so it's been speculated that if they had been clean games, Young would hold gold and silver medals. "You never know do you?" she says. But she doesn't think about it. "It's a long time ago, and when I talk about that day it's just the way it was. That's sport. That's life." But she does have strong memories of that 'golden hour' in Rome. "Looking back, it was a very special day for the New Zealand athletes," she says. "Getting into a final of an Olympic event is special. You get a plaque to say that's where your position was ... but it's not quite the same as getting up the steps." She didn't go to the after-party for Snell and Halberg - "I was a bit sad I suppose." Young didn't have long to mope as she had another event the next day. And she wouldn't trade her fistful of Commonwealth Games medals for an Olympic gong, saying they're her history. …Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details