Podium is a kind of platform which is basically used for raising the short distance from the surrounding. The word podium has come from a greek word which means foot. Podium is also meant for where the speaker can be put up and important paper or books can also be placed and correct term for it is Lectern only. Both the terms are not identical to each other because one stands on a podium and another behind a lectern.
Podiums are basically used for the honor of top contestants in any of the events. It is to be seen in the events like Olympics, Commonwealth Games or other events similar to that. In Olympics basically a three level podium is to be used in which the highest level is at the centre holds the space for gold medalist and to their right which is somewhat lower than the middle is for the silver medalist and the third one is which is on the left of middle is lowest platform and provide space for the bronze medalist.
Infact in many of the sports the top three contestants are often referred to as podiums only and in some of the individual sports podium in which it is an official statistic are referred as the number of top three results which a participant or athlete has achieved in the course of a season or his/her career. According to the professor E.R.K.Barney who is a founding director at University of Western Ontario was the one who gave the idea of Podium to honor the athletes while they receive their medals which is now used almost everywhere all over the world to honor the same.
Podiums are used in different forms of motorsport but the function is similar and that is to present the trophies to the top-placed drivers. In an international series, the national anthem of the winning driver, and the winning team or constructor may be played and the flags of the drivers' countries are hoisted above them. Infact now the term has become a parlance in media and that is where a driver is said to be “be heading for a podium finish” or “just missing out on a podium”.
In NASCAR Sprint Cup Series which is the highest level of stock car racing in the United States do not have three-person podium instead of that the winning driver and its team celebrates in the victory lane only. The IRLIndyCar Series does not use a podium at theIndianapolis 500 or the Bombardier Learjet 550 but 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. However, the series does use a podium at all other races.
