A podium (plural podiums or podia) is a platform used to raise something to a short distance above its surroundings. It derives from the Greek ''πόδι'' (foot). In architecture a building can rest on a large podium. Podiums can also be used to raise people, for instance the

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Music * Conductor (music), a person who leads a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra. * ''Conductor'' (album), an album by indie rock band The Comas * Conduction, a type of structured free improvisation ...

of an orchestra stands on a podium as do many public speakers. Common parlance has shown an increasing use of ''podium'' in North American English to describe a lectern. In sports, a type of podium can be used to honor the top three competitors in events. In the modern Olympics a tri-level podium is used. Traditionally, the highest platform is in the center for the gold medalist. To their right is a lower platform for the

silver medalist A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...

, and to the left of the gold medalist is a lower platform for the bronze medalist. At the

2016 Rio Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...

, the Silver and Bronze podium places were of equal elevation. In many sports, results in the top three of a competition are often referred to as podiums or podium finishes. In some individual sports, podiums is an official

statistic A statistic (singular) or sample statistic is any quantity computed from values in a sample which is considered for a statistical purpose. Statistical purposes include estimating a population parameter, describing a sample, or evaluating a hypo ...

, referring to the number of top three results an athlete has achieved over the course of a season or career. The word may also be used, chiefly in the United States, as a verb, "to podium", meaning to attain a podium place.

First use at modern Olympics

Podiums were first used at the

1930 British Empire Games The 1930 British Empire Games were the inaugural edition of what now is known as the Commonwealth Games, and were held in Hamilton, Ontario, from 16 to 23 August 1930. The games were organized by ''Hamilton Spectator'' sportswriter Bobby Robinso ...

(now Commonwealth Games) in Hamilton, Ontario and subsequently during the

1932 Winter Olympics The 1932 Winter Olympics, officially known as the III Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Lake Placid 1932, were a winter multi-sport event in the United States, held in Lake Placid, New York, United States. The games opened on February ...

in Lake Placid and the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...

in Los Angeles. Martin, D. E., Martin, D. A., & Gynn, R. W. (2000). The olympic marathon. Human Kinetics. p. 146.

In motorsport

The winner stands in the middle, with the second placed driver to their right and the third place driver to their left. Also present are the dignitaries selected by the race organisers who will present the trophies. Le Mans 2015 (18819881892)

In some motorsport events, including Formula One, a representative of the team that won the race will also be present at the podium, with a fourth podium step, trophy and champagne. In many forms of motorsport, the three top-placed drivers in a race stand on a podium for the trophy ceremony. In an international series, the national anthem of the winning driver, and the winning team or constructor may be played over a public address system and the flags of the drivers' countries are hoisted above them. The recordings are short versions of the national anthems, ensuring the podium ceremony does not exceeded its allocated time. Should a driver experience problems with his car on a slow lap in Formula One, that driver is transported to the pit lane via road car by the Formula One Administration security officer. Following the presentation of the trophies, the drivers will often spray Champagne over each other and their team members watching below, a tradition started by Dan Gurney following the

1967 24 Hours of Le Mans The 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 35th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 10 and 11 June 1967. It was also the seventh round of the 1967 World Sportscar Championship. Dan Gurney and A. J. Foyt, driving a Ford Mk IV, won the race afte ...

race. The drivers will generally refrain from spraying champagne if a

fatality Fatality may refer to: * Fatality (''Mortal Kombat''), a finishing move, originated in the ''Mortal Kombat'' series of fighting games * Fatality (comics), a character published by DC Comics * Fatal1ty, the screen name of professional electronic s ...

or major accident occurs during the event. Also, in countries where alcohol sponsorship or drinking is prohibited, alcoholic beverages may be replaced by other drinks, for example

rose water Rose water ( fa, گلاب) is a flavoured water made by steeping rose petals in water. It is the hydrosol portion of the distillate of rose petals, a by-product of the production of rose oil Rose oil (rose otto, attar of rose, attar of rose ...

. The term has become common parlance in the media, where a driver may be said to "be heading for a podium finish" or "just missing out on a podium" when he is heading for, or just misses out on a top three finish. The

NASCAR Cup Series The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, ...

, the highest level of stock car racing in the United States, does not use a podium in post-game events or statistics. Instead, the winning team celebrates in victory lane, and top-five and top-ten finishes are recognized statistically. Those finishing second to fifth are required to stop in a media bullpen located on pit lane for interviews. The

INDYCAR INDYCAR, LLC, is an American-based auto racing sanctioning body for Indy car racing and other disciplines of open wheel car racing. The organization sanctions five racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with its centerpiece the Indianapolis ...

NTT IndyCar Series does not use a podium at either the Indianapolis 500 or at Texas Motor Speedway. The Indy 500 has a long tradition of the winning driver and team celebrating in victory lane, while Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage has stated that victory lane should be reserved for the winner of the race.Thatsracin.com
''Dixon looks forward to next week's break'' Retrieved 6/19/2009 The series uses a podium at all other races, particularly road course events.

In architecture

Architectural podiums consist of a projecting base or pedestal at ground level, and they have been used since ancient times. Originally sometimes only meters tall, architectural podiums have become more prominent in buildings over time, as illustrated in the gallery. Image:Maison Carree in Nimes (16).jpg, Maison Carrée, a Roman temple (4–7 AD) Image:Royal Society 20040420.jpg, London terrace housing (18th century) Image:Campus in Birmingham.jpg, Centre City Tower, Birmingham (1975)

References

{{reflist, 2 Architectural elements Public speaking

First use at modern Olympics

In motorsport

In architecture

See also

References