It makes no logical sense, I grant. The bronze medal is, literally, a poorer medal. It is made of copper and tin, and is worth about four bucks. The silver medal is valuable enough that—spoiler alert—the gold medal is really just the silver medal hidden beneath a half-dozen grams of gold plating. Oh, and also? The bronze medal represents a less perfect performance than the silver medal in the event that these athletes have just devoted their waking lives trying to perfect.

But hear me out, people.

While I thought this insight was my own novel and utterly unverifiable brainstorm, it turns out I’ve had scientific proof all along. I’ve had it for decades. After the 1992 summer games in Barcelona, scientists at Cornell University studied the faces of Olympians who had just won medals. According to witnesses who didn’t know the actual outcome, the bronze medalists were evidently more thrilled than those who crossed the finish line just before them. Comparatively, at least: The silver medalists were not impressed.

Why are bronze medalists so darn happy? Logically it’s irrational; emotionally it’s obvious.