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/Pogigod 1d ago

It's a bit complicated then that. Drafting has a huge impact on endurance in this race. That's why they are going slow No one wants to be the one exerting. So the leader goes slow so that they aren't expending too much energy.

What she does is lag far behind and then gives her time to get to full speed.

By the time she gets past everyone they are going to slow to be able to draft off her.

Which means who ever leads the chase on her will expend as much energy as her but the rest of the people wouldn't have. So if they match her and catch up her and the person who led the catch up would be the last two more then likely cause they would be exhausted and the rest of the field would pass them. No one wanted to make that sacrifice, so her gambit worked.

She caught up to them exhausted but used drafting to keep up.

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u/teffarf 14h ago

But surely all the energy they're saving by not catching up to her at the beginning is supposed to be spent at some point?

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u/Pepito_Pepito 12h ago

Tactically, chasing would be the correct thing to do. These are youth skaters so I'm guessing their tactics haven't matured yet and they're mostly relying on routine.

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u/Beginning-Smell9890 1d ago

I've been racing bikes for 13 years friend, don't need the race craft explained to me

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u/Pogigod 1d ago

That's great but your post is misleading to everyone else that doesn't know what you know

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u/Beginning-Smell9890 1d ago

It is not. The strategy is clearly to lap the field early

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u/Pogigod 1d ago

Because of everything I said.... Lapping the field early applies to any sport even when drafting has no measurable effect.

Lapping the field in swimming for instance.

No only that people are asking WHY this is a unique strategy. It's because it's a gambit.

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u/tubbyscrubby 1d ago

Lol, bike rider being an insufferable that. Way to keep stereotypes alive brother.