A man in Derbyshire has created fourth place medals for those who just miss out on top three positions in the 2012 Olympic Games.

David Mitchell, a bookshop owner from the East Midlands, felt compelled to show recognition for the high calibre talent who narrowly missed out on gold, silver and bronze, by making his own ‘4th Place’ medal. He made the decision after thoroughly studying the history of the Olympic games, and feeling that it was unfair for fourth place competitors to go home completely empty-handed.

Mr. Mitchell commented: “There used to be 84 countries in the Olympic Games, now there are 204.” He added: “There has been an increase in competitiveness and higher standards need to be taken into account.” Not only does he show support for these top class performer, he also wants them to walk away with some sort of award from their efforts.

Mr. Mitchell has sent out the medals to select athletes from around the globe; the most high-profile recipients have being British divers Tom Daley and Peter Waterfield. They finished fourth on the board for men’s synchronised 10m platform diving, and now have a gold-coloured medal which reads ‘“In Recognition of your 4th Place. Olympic Games 2012” in memory of their achievements. More will be distributed out to other Olympic competitors in a range of sports.

If you were an athlete, how would you feel about a fourth place medal?