Paris Olympics: Mary-Sophie Harvey Embracing Perspective After Quartet of Fourth-Place Finishes in Paris
Finishing fourth at the Olympics can be heartbreaking.
To be that close to a medal is something that can haunt an athlete.
How about fourth four times?
Canada’s Mary-Sophie Harvey endured four times the pain in Paris, taking fourth for the second, third and fourth times of her Olympic career.
“Most of us athletes tend to measure our success by medals. If we don’t leave a competition with at least one, anything else becomes a failure.
“How did you place at the Olympics?”
“I came 4th, 4 times.”
“Oh, I’m sorry”
The thing is; I did everything I possibly could in the lead up to the Olympics Games. Yes, the position sucks but there’s nothing to be sorry about. I am in control of my performance and not the ones of my competitors. I trained as hard as I could, maximized my recovery when needed, made sacrifices, and I don’t have anything to feel sorry about. I gave my all and it lead me here.
Being an athlete isn’t just about medals, it’s about the journey we take that shapes us into the person we are, the people we encounter that become friends & the moments we collect throughout our careers.
I am gutted but I am also proud. I’ve come a long way & there’s still plenty of room to improve. I’m leaving Paris with no medals around my neck but with a smile on my face and a luggage full of memories that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.
Merci pour tout Paris.” – Mary-Sophie Harvey
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Harvey was fourth in the 200 free and as part of two Canadian relays.
This isn’t Harvey’s first Olympics, and she shared her perspective on the journey from Tokyo after taking fourth in the 200 free in Paris.
“I was thinking of ending my career following the Tokyo Olympics as the morning swimmer in the 4×200. At 21, I was telling myself I had reached my peak. 3 years later, I finish 4th individually in this event, in my first Olympic Final, at 24 years old. Without forgetting that I even equal the best ranking in Quebec history in swimming,” Mary-Sophie Harvey posted.
The perspective that she has shown is not only a light for those who are disappointed, but shows the growth Harvey has displayed as a swimmer and a person.
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