I know some athletes even find it difficult to be happy winning!

When I was mad keen on cricket ,England always lost in 1980s.
When I mad keen on rugby league, Leeds never won anything.

It’s only when I lost interest, they started winning.

2) I don’t know. Scottish Highland Dancing may give us a good chance of another gold medal

1) For spectators – or supporters – the common experience is losing rather than winning. The majority of football teams lose more matches than they win. For the supporters of these clubs, losing is the common experience. Northampton Town, where I’m a season ticket holder, lose more matches than they win. So that, when they do win spectacularly on the very odd occasion, the supporter savours the moment – winning at Wembley in 1997 in the play-off final of the bottom division; defeating Liverpool at Anfield on penalties in the League Cup in 2010. These experiences make the regular experiences of losing worthwhile. And the committed supporter keeps going – wouldn’t it be terrible if you missed an “I was there when …” moment?

2) The Olympics are now over-blown. So (a) Erect a small permanent site. Greece would seem eminently suitable. And (b) Limit the competition to running, throwing and jumping. If results depend on “judging for artistic merit”, then Scottish Highland Dancing might as well be an Olympic sport!

Interesting comments, specially coming from an athlete. There is a lot of obsession, between the spectators at least, with medals, with the achievement of medals. i don’t know to what extent the athletes are influenced by that and to what extent their respective federations urge them to win a medal.
I know of many people who don’t even enjoy the Olympics event because they are obsessed with medals and only feel ‘good’ when a new one is achieved.
I don’t think it’s necessary to explain why this approach is wrong. it deprives the spectators of fully enjoying the Olympics (let alone enjoying the performances by athletes or teams from other countries) and it’s a bit unfair and in my opinion it doesn’t match what this event really means: a supposedly absolutely sporting like event, a kind of an international sporting party, where besides just to be participating is a success in itself since as you say all of them have had to compete and qualify to get there. The best ones (except those injured) are there, all at once.
This said I understand and even appreciate (and to just some extent ‘demand’) that the athletes fight hard to get a medal or to get close to it.
I agree as well with you on the fact that finishing 4th is a great result. I just think that probably depending on the way the competition went, for instance if one finishes very very close to the third, it may make you feel some disappointment at the moment of finishing, but over the time of course it’s something to be proud of. In fact it is almost the same as finishing third.
And as far as I know the 4th position is awarded in the Olympics, as it is the 5th.. and up to the 8th, I think. I don’t think it was in the past, I am not sure.
Regards

I believe your last sentence is not intended to read as it does: ‘But, those who can’t accept defeat graciously are real heroes.’ Surely it should read ‘CAN’?

Another one for correction: ‘Winning matters, and it it…’