A few centimetres can separate an athlete from gold, but the difference can feel much bigger when the result is decided. That was at the heart of a candid conversation between Indian long jumpers Ancy Sojan Edappilly and Anju Bobby George, shared by Anju in a video.

The two medal-winning athletes spoke about competition pressure, the importance of getting every part of a jump right and the emotions that remain long after the result is announced.

When asked what gives her confidence once she is on the field, Ancy pointed to one thing: her speed.

For her, getting the runway speed right is crucial to executing the jump she wants. If the approach is right and the jump is delivered properly, she believes the performance will follow.

But Ancy said fear is not what occupies her mind before a jump. Instead, she wants her performance to make the spectators react.

“I don’t have fear. I just want the audience to jump up from their seats and get excited seeing my performance,” she said.

Anju offered a different perspective on confidence. She compared an athlete's preparation to sitting for an examination — once the moment arrives, there is little more to learn. The task is to perform with everything already learnt and trained.

For Ancy, however, the hardest part can come after the jump, particularly when gold slips away by a tiny margin.

The two athletes spoke about how spectators can look at a result and simply say that an athlete missed gold by two centimetres. But for the athlete, those few centimetres carry the pressure of the entire competition.

Ancy explained that only athletes truly understand what goes through their minds in those moments — the tension, the adrenaline and the thought that the top spot could have belonged to India.

That thought can linger even while standing on the podium: Why am I second?

Anju said she could relate to that feeling. She also recalled how different the atmosphere was during her competitive years, when athletes did not have the kind of large spectator support seen today.

She said she was often the one encouraging people to clap and support the athletes.

The conversation also turned to Ancy’s long jump performance at the Asian Games. Anju revealed that she had expected the event to produce another gold for India in the long jump.

Anju knows what winning that title feels like. She won the women's long jump gold at the 2002 Busan Asian Games with a jump of 6.53 metres.

For Ancy, the medal she won was just as important as the performance itself. She said she could not imagine returning without a medal, while Anju described the medal as something extremely precious.

The athletes also spoke about the weather conditions they faced during the Games and the challenges that come with competing under such conditions.

Despite the disappointment of falling short of gold, Anju encouraged Ancy to look ahead, telling her that there would be better opportunities in the future.

Their conversation offers a side of athletics that a results sheet cannot capture: the difference between finishing first and second may be measured in centimetres, but for the athlete, those centimetres can carry an enormous emotional weight.