Featured Image Credit: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images/YouTube/Olympics
Topics: Olympics, Sport, World News, Viral, Social Media, YouTube
Poppy Bilderbeck
Topics: Olympics, Sport, World News, Viral, Social Media, YouTube
A Chinese speed skater had a 'genius' strategy which saw her take home gold at the Youth Olympics earlier this year.
Yang Jingru took part in the Youth Winter Olympic Games women’s 1,500 meter short-track speed-skating final held at the Gangwon, South Korea Games in March.
And footage of the 18-year-old speed skater's approach to the race has gone viral online, with Jingru praised as 'incredible'.
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The women's 1,500 meter short-track speed-skating race consists of participants running around 13 laps.
Typically, most skaters take the first lap or so fairly steadily, keeping in a pack, not wanting to burn out too early on and risk not have enough oomph for a final push at the end to overtake competitors.
However, Jingru had a different 'trick' up her sleeve and as one Twitter user said: "Her strategy is worth watching in detail."
Instead of starting with the 'slow and steady wins the race' approach, the teenage speed skater went for a much more 'bold strategy'.
As the starting sound rang out, Jingru dashed her way towards the front, quickly overtaking her competitors and flying into the lead, so much so she lapped them.
Rather than quickening their pace to match, the other skaters maintained their pack formation and when Jingru caught back up with them, she slowed down and re-joined the group and matched their pace again.
It would seem by the final lap, the rest of the group must've forgotten Jingru lapped them in the first round and that subsequently even if it seemed like she was at the back of the pack, she was technically a lap ahead and so would win.
And win she did, Jingru taking home a gold medal for the impressive feat and receiving an outpouring of support for her strategy on social media.
One YouTube user said: "Even the commentator and the cameraman forgot she is one lap ahead of the others."
"This is a perfectly executed strategy. Usually the early laps of a race like this is slow to conserve energy, but making the other skaters forget they are a lap down is the perfect mind game," a second praised.
A third commented: "The smartest move I’ve seen in track. How did they not figure out her plan."
And a fourth wrote: "This is the greatest sporting masterpiece in History I don't watch this ice sports but gotta respect the ingenuity behind this."
The Olympics' official YouTube channel even branded Jingru's strategy as 'unconventional' but resulting in a 'thrilling' race to watch.
Jingru admitted to CGTN after the race it was certainly 'a daring move' and one she hadn't ever 'attempted before'.
However, she resolved: "But it was my own strategy, a secret weapon nobody saw coming. It left everyone bewildered and unsure of how to respond.
"And it worked like a charm... I achieved what I had set out to do. My goal was to claim the gold medal, and I’m pleased that I was able to turn that vision into a reality."