quite true.the same reason, you would not compare with those who are very far away from your life, but you'd like to compare with your friends nearby. sometimes, i think if time will gradually close the gap, and sometimes, you know, the chance still play a significant role. if silver winner is very close to the gold medalist, he would feel bad, if the silver medalist is far away from the gold, but just a bit fast or better than the bronze, he/she might feel good.