People stunned after seeing where Olympic canoe athletes’ legs go

Olympics viewers are flooding to social media in shock after only just realizing where competitors' legs go in the canoe.

If like me, you were forced on a family trip on a kayak down some river in France - which would inevitably up in an argument and threat to shove someone in the water - and thought because of the experience, you already how people sit in a kayak or canoe, then you are gravely mistaken.

Not only are kayaks and canoes very different apparatus but you probably didn't realise that, from the waist down, not is all quite as it seems when it comes to the Olympic canoeists you may be currently watching compete on TV.

Clearly, it is a lot more difficult to manoeuvre a canoe than most of us think - it is an Olympic sport after all - and that's not just the fact of being in gushing water and having to make your way round various poles while battling the current, but it's also because you probably didn't realise how many professional canoeists are sat.

Or rather, not sat.

A video of French canoeist Doriane Delassus has been shared to Instagram by Planet Canoe, which teased: "Ever wonder how athletes get out of a canoe?"

The footage shows Delasses get to the end of a course, before getting up to get out of the canoe, the clip revealing canoeists aren't sat on their bums inside the boats but are actually kneeling.

And it's not taken long for people to flood to social media in shock.

Professional canoeists kneel in their boats (Instagram/ @planetcanoe)

Professional canoeists kneel in their boats (Instagram/ @planetcanoe)

One Instagram user said: "You’re telling me that they were on their knees the whole time?!?! For some reason I always assumed that they sat with their legs straight."

"THEY’RE ON THEIR KNEES?" another added.

A third commented: "Ur supposed to canoe on your knees?!?!!?!!? I never knew that."

"On your knees gives you THE MOST control over the canoe/kayak itself. I got a lvl 1 Orcka in white water canoeing (could have been 2 but lazy)." a fourth said. "You WANT to be on your knees in aggressive water like that. Center of gravity, points of contact bla bla bla."

For those of you still a bit confused - like me - GoPaddling explains: "Canoeing involves sitting or kneeling in an open boat using a paddle with one blade. "Whereas in a kayak, you sit down with your legs in front of you, while propelling forward with a double bladed paddle."

And when it comes to the kneeling part, Paddling.com adds: "Kneeling off the seat is a much more stable position. Not only does it lower your center of gravity, but it gives you more intimate contact with, and therefore more control of, the canoe."

And a final simply resolved: "Learning something new everyday."