Just being in the race is enough.....
For some. Watching the re-action of some who missed the Gold is an eye opener for the gamut of human emotion. I liked the ones who lost with a smile on their face. It takes a lot to be positive when everyone's competing for the same place.
After all is said and done, the one's who said "this is not my time", or "it wasn't meant to be" were the ones I admired for their sense of sport.