Well i mean if your natural talents and interest are enough to get you to, say 5th place on some stage how likely are you really to just give up at that and not push to place higher, what if you got second and knew you'd have a chance again next year. I bet sacrifice could describe a lot of the consequences of attempting to place higher.

Also, isn't literally every sacrifice just an opportunity cost? That kinda what makes it a sacrifice. Sacrifice your first born and give up the extra productivity possible. Sacrifice a lucrative but over taxing job and lose out on the money. Sacrifice a meal for someone and you go hungry. Sacrifice is always about the opportunity cost of the thing you're sacrificing. If it doesn't hurt, if it doesn't cost you something, it's not a sacrifice.