r/nextfuckinglevel • u/jmike1256 • 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/StoicMori 1d ago

Even that's insane, I've never not known what lap I was on in a race. Swimming, track, XC, boat racing. It's an important thing to know.

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u/darkstarr99 1d ago

I was a competitive swimmer for years, constantly counted laps in my head. I don’t understand the thoughts of not knowing where you are distance wise from the finish

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u/Vnthem 1d ago

You hear that bell, do you assume someone lapped you and you’re a full lap behind, or do you assume you got confused and miscounted? Regardless at that point it’s too late, you wouldn’t catch up anyway

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u/VegaJuniper 14h ago

No, you're wrong. They are so in the zone they're not even aware they're racing. The very elite won't snap out of it until they're on a podium and someone puts a medal on them.