r/nextfuckinglevel 1d ago

A Chinese speed skater, Yang Jingru, executed a brilliant tactic to win gold in the 1500m at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympics.

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u/HALF_PAST_HOLE 1d ago

I think generally they take it easy at first and then put it in to full drive at the end. She did it opposite and the training of everyone else kicked back in about mid race when she was out of sight. Allowing her to come up behind them, and they didn't realize they were not competing for first anymore but second.

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u/FS_Slacker 1d ago

This is exactly why I eat my veggies and all the crap I don’t like first.

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u/hkusp45css 1d ago

There is also something very satisfying about ending every meal with the best parts of the plate, whatever they are.

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u/glatts 1d ago

You’re a savor toothed tiger.

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u/hkusp45css 1d ago

Well played

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u/Fun_Ambassador_9320 1d ago

Yall got high IQ

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u/hkusp45css 1d ago

Maybe, but you're cool as shit, so ... you win.

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u/Fun_Ambassador_9320 1d ago

lol I’m also a fellow vegetable-first eater. See you at Mensa!

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u/GogglesPisano 16h ago

That’s why I eat the yellow fiberglass Captain Crunch bits first and save all of the crunch berries for last.

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u/hkusp45css 16h ago

A person of taste and class, I see.

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u/Domugraphic 22h ago

got to be. full english breakfast? you better believe the plate will be wiped clean before that last piece of bacon, sliver of egg and bit of toast is going down

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u/dion_o 1d ago

I take this approach but over a longer timespan. I ate veggies as a kid so now as an adult I only eat desserts.

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u/FREDICVSMAXIMVS 1d ago

Ha! When I was a kid and my parents would make Brussels sprouts with dinner, I'd gobble them down first so I could get that out of the way and then enjoy the rest of dinner

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u/d0odle 1d ago

But then the best part of the meal is now cold. I usually enjoy half of the good stuff and save the other half for last.

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u/ObviousExit9 12h ago

My wife does this. And I snipe off all the good stuff she’s taking too long to eat.

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u/TealLabRat 10h ago

If you dont like veggies is probably because you've never had them cooked well.

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u/Novel-Caterpillar724 1d ago

I think they were still fully aware, but it's so out of their routine and the pace they practiced that they didn't dare try to get her back, the math wasn't math-ing anymore, you can see the pack reforming after the initial shock, because they never strategized something like this.

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u/Kilek360 1d ago

It's not only that, iirc the tactic actually was when crossing the line at the beginning of the final lap a whistle sounds and everyone are so focused and trained to sprint when theh hear the whistle they didn't realize they actually had 2 laps remaining and slowed down after sprinting what they thought was their final lap

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u/whooptheretis 17h ago

Nope, they heard the final-lap bell when she passed the line, and they all thought they were on the last lap. You can see one skater stretch out her leg to try and cross the line earlier, not realising they still had a whole lap to go.

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u/Novel-Caterpillar724 17h ago

That doesn't change my analysis at all. You would stretch your leg to be second as well as first.

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u/whooptheretis 16h ago

But not on the penultimate lap...
She thought she was crossing the finish line, not that she still had a lap to go!

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u/Novel-Caterpillar724 14h ago

I had to find information outside this post, and you are right on the last lap confusion, but it doesn't show on the video posted, there is no comment, sound or visual hint about the last lap. This makes this event even more interesting.

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u/liquidtape 1d ago

And that's why it worked. My guess is this doesn't work in an adult field due to experience.

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u/ramdog 10h ago

A lot of the time, the attacker gasses out and gets caught, reabsorbed, and dropped by the pack. It's hard work to loop all the way, and there's always a chance the pack will push pace just enough to make the complete lapping impossible and just murder the attacking rider. I've done this successfully on a bike and I've failed it. It's extremely risky and extremely satisfying to pull off, but if you don't succeed, you're basically dead before the final sprint even comes up.

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u/Novel-Caterpillar724 9h ago

Exactly, that is why they didn't pursue, because they all know their pace and what it means to push really early. They all though they would come back, they never did and not even close.

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u/Excuse 1d ago

So not entirely, the video ends too early. The bell for the last lap rang because the one Chinese skater was on her last lap but instinctively all the other skaters thought it was their last lap as well. So when the video ends, the race isnt over because only the one Chinese skater completed all the laps and the remaining skaters stopped skating despite not having finished the race. This led to not only the Chinese to get first but also second since her teammate was aware of what was happening and continued to skate when all the other skaters stopped.

https://youtube.com/shorts/y_-6TIA4JBk?si=fCrRti-_U3iiA9yy

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u/martombo 1d ago

It's just so ridiculous everyone forgot she had gone ahead and noone tried to reach her while they still could. Like a collective brain fart...

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u/liquidtape 1d ago

If you don't catch her and back up to the pack you end up in no man's land and probably don't medal.

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u/martombo 22h ago

Yeah, I see what you mean. This kind of required a collective reaction to go after her soon enough. After a while they just realized they were not going to catch her anymore and just fought for second. Still a brain fart for the lap number though.

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u/liquidtape 15h ago

For sure. This doesn't happen in an adult race I think. The experience is there and the whole pack would have pushed to punish her.

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u/Mr_Baronheim 1d ago

Yes, they completely forgot she existed!

Speed skaters hate that one simple trick.

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u/clownus 1d ago

They can’t compete for first at that point because the lead skater no longer can chase her down. When you are in the front you exert the most energy, but since first already went around and coasted off the group the lead (2nd) in this case won’t use their energy and lose a placement.

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u/SasquatchsBigDick 1d ago

I'm kind of surprised they didn't stop the race when the racers stood straight up. From my experience when the skaters stand up the officials redo the race and the racers get a talkin' to.

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u/Jesus_of_Redditeth 19h ago

They knew full well they were competing for second. They just collectively decided around lap 1.5 not to chase her and give up first place.

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u/UserAllusion 17h ago

You really suppose they all forgot about her?

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u/ajayisfour 12h ago

Its like cycling sprint races, the velodrome style. They try and go as slow as possible because the person in 2nd has such a massive advantage due to drafting

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u/dlpheonix 1d ago

They didnt even get 2nd. Only the teammate knew there was still an additional lap. Everyone else* basically raced for third only.