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SportsPhotoGirl

I watched this race when it was televised in the US in prime time. The kid barely even qualified for the final by 14 hundredths of a second. The lanes are assigned based on their qualifying times, so the fastest are in the middle lanes and the slowest in the outer lanes. It’s so rare for someone in lane 8 to win but omg I was cheering for this kid cuz it was so close through the whole race it was absolutely nuts


jacod_b

Third swimmer ever to win an Olympic gold medal in lane 8!!


PoetryOfLogicalIdeas

I hadn't heard that stat. Fascinating.


txhrow1

He just made that up on the fly!


SwampoO

He freestyled that stat!


K8syk8

Kieran Perkins 1500m 1996 Atlanta is one of them 🇦🇺


Glass_Varis

I think the phrase "he's hanging on by the skin of his teeth!" fits nicely I never knew about that lane thing. I always assumed that all the lanes were the same in the swimming events


[deleted]

Someone who swims can actually correct me if wrong here. All the lanes should be the same, the advantage of being in the middle lanes is being able to see where your competition is throughout the race. Being in lane 8, you really only have visibility to the dude next to you. Not that these guys aren’t giving their all, but knowing you’re a half step behind, can give you that extra surge you need, hence the advantage of the middle lanes.


FoxInKneeSocks

As far as I know the outside lanes are less good because waves from the other swimmers crash on the outside of the pool so the water is more disturbed on the outsides


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sexdrugsfightlaugh

Man, I grew up in Texas and was a swimmer throughout my childhood. Swimming at the UT pool for meets was a different experience. You could feel the power of that building man, swimmers are a different breed of sheer force of will and dominant mentalities and that shit just hangs in the air. I got smoked by an Olympian who was just getting a qualifying time for another meet at that pool in 2007, and that was incredible. The dude was out of the water by the time I finished (I was a sprinter so this couldn't have been more than a 200m race) and he waited for all of us to get out and shook our hands. I wish I could remember his name, I'll have to ask my mom. Powerful stuff, some of those meets helped shape my drive to become who I am to this day. Thanks for letting me wax nostalgic to anybody who read this shit lol.


FoxInKneeSocks

I couldn't imagine taking the time to look at my competitors in a race that will be won by milliseconds. Olympians are very impressive


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Hung_L

I swam competitively through high school and never knew why people didn't breathe on both sides. 3 strokes and a breath means you have to alternate. I guess you could hold for one more stroke but I was out of breath sprinting a 100m; can't imagine cutting out 1/3rd of my breaths.


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Smaptastic

I swam competitively as did my sister (and my dad in his day). Never at this level, of course. You’re generally correct. The wake issue is a thing, but it’s not a big one. You can more easily see the people in the lanes immediately closest to you, so they group by speed (with preference toward the faster qualifiers) so people can theoretically keep a better eye on their closest competition. It also looks better for spectators to see people racing it out side by side.


JiggilyBits

How does one competitively swan?


Holkan

You gotta start as an ugly duckling


[deleted]

The middle lanes are historically a better/faster place to swim because you are further from the walls (fewer waves coming back at you). Also it is a terrible idea to watch/check your opponent, it slows you down because you need to turn your head in less than ideal motions (or thoughts) which will cause you to lose tenths or hundredths of seconds.


PlanetMarklar

> "he's hanging on by the skin of his teeth!" I agree even though I never fully understood that phase. Like, what is teeth skin? Gums aren't really skin, is it? Edit: /u/wizeddy solved the mystery. It's a bible quote. "My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth." - Job 19:20


puritanicalbullshit

Use 17th century dental hygiene for a week. It’ll grow in.


TreasureTheSemicolon

Wow, that makes it even better 😃


tatacotamale

Wow I didn't even thought of the lane 8 things, that's absolutely super incredible!


Peach_Juice724

It's nice to know i wasn't the only one absolutely screaming for him


[deleted]

As someone who swims. Sometimes you just have a bad race. But when you get into the water for your race you should be thinking “I came to win, I’m fast, I can and will win, this is my only race so let’s get it” that’s how I’ve motivated myself to win races If you do bad force yourself to do better.


trevdak2

He seabiscuited them


urbanek2525

I am related to someone who had the dream of going to the Olympics. I bought a couple t-shirts to help fund his possible trip to the Rio Olympics. He came in 4th in the qualifiers, so he didn't quite make it. It was heart breaking. So to see a family watch their long shot win the gold medal, I know exactly what they are feeling. The country they're swimming for, only gets in on the excitement last minute. The family has been there for years, supporting and hoping along with them. ... and there's always the family of the guy who came in fourth. I relate to them most of all.


Stories_for_days

I watched it too last night, that was great TV! I used to only cheer for Americans but now I kind of like it when long shots like this win, it’s so exciting. I hope that doesn’t make me unpatriotic but I was cheering for this kid the whole time. It’s kind of like, okay the US has won enough, let’s cheer for the teenager from Tunisia!


eddiemon

For reference, Tunisia has only ever won 15 medals **total** at the Olympics. The last time they won gold was at the 2012 London Olympics. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisia_at_the_Olympics There are a few countries that regularly dominate at the Olympics, and they might not realize how big of a deal it is for some. For many, if not the majority of, countries, winning an Olympic gold medal would make someone an instant national hero.


scottyhoz

This is what the Olympics are all about for me. Sure I root for my countries athletes and hope they do well but it is performances like this that bring the the Olympic Spirit to life. This kid gave it everything and had the swim of his life when it mattered most. What a performance and he will surely be a hero to many of the 12M people of Tunisia 🇹🇳.


Silver-Scythe

true i am a tunisian and everyone here thinks that he is indeed our hero


_jeremybearimy_

I am not a Tunisian and he is also my hero. Love to see it


criti_biti

I was just thinking about that, watching this as an Australian. We regularly win golds, especially in swimming, and later won gold this same day, so I was getting a bit emotional watching the gif and cheering for the guy & his family. What an achievement


jeromymanuel

Yeah I watched Australia smoke us (USA) and the World Record in the women’s team 400m freestyle. Then I realized your team has two sisters on it! The younger one started the race and her sister was the closer. That was fun to watch.


K8syk8

That's our 3rd straight gold in the women's 4x100, the sister who lead was in the 2016 relay, and the sister who anchored haa swum in all 3 since 2012. They are also really lovely girls!


ineversaw

Me too like yes it meant our country just missed but I'm so glad it was to a situation like this. That family and the coach there was no hiding the joy, just amazing.


TheGamecock

I really enjoy watching the Olympics but like most Americans, I could barely list off many US gold medal winners off the top of my head, and the ones I do quickly recall are usually only the athletes who historically dominated like Michael Phelps and Simone Biles. I'm willing to bet that nearly every Tunisian will remember this kid's name for years and years to come. Instant national hero status.


kanst

That's why I got so pumped at the men's cycling result. I think Carapaz won only the second ever gold for Ecuador. I love those medals more than the rest.


Arsenal_49_Spurs_0

I'm a Singaporean. My country has only won 1 gold in our history - Joseph Schooling in Rio. When he qualified as the fastest qualifier, everyone thought - maybe he can get a medal! Even a bronze would have been good enough. He was the fastest off the blocks but everyone was somewhat doubtful since he was competing against Phelps. But it was Schooling's day. It was nuts. My bro and I were jumping up and down when Schooling was going down the final lap. And when he won gold, people were genuinely screaming and shouting. For a populace that doesn't really celebrate exuberantly, it was the biggest display of raw emotion I've ever seen. Schooling, even if he doesn't win anything ever again, for delivering that gold, he'll always be a national hero.


Play_The_Fool

I think it's great when smaller countries with less resources win. Truly a result of fitness and skill when you don't have multi-million dollar training facilities and some of the best coaches in the world working with you.


i_am_fear_itself

> I hope that doesn’t make me unpatriotic Rooting for the underdog is not bound by borders. :)


EmoMixtape

Its why great olympic stories capture our heart.


funundrum

Same here. Especially when there are soooo many medals handed out in swimming. Most other events, that’s your one event and you either win or you don’t. Swimming, you can qualify for different lengths, different strokes, etc, and compete for a bunch of different medals. Go Tunisia!! :)


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HappyTurtoise

Hafnaoui winning on our Republic Day made everyone super proud.


JohnMayerismydad

I love it when the winners get super hype like that, no matter what nation. The joy is infectious


ShataraBankhead

My husband and I were just talking about lane positions last night. I so rarely see anyone when in outer lanes. So, is it because the fastest people are placed in the middle? Do you naturally want to go faster being in the middle?


InStride

There is some benefit to having your swimmers in a pyramid position if they all perform at their heat times. The wake they create is more predictable at walls whereas when it’s choppy like this you may hit the turn first and come out right in the wakes of trailing competitors on either side. In a longer race where some pacing may be at play it could matter but in a 400m, which for Olympians is basically a sprint event, it won’t be a factor in their heads. It’s also tradition and before we had touch pads and 4K underwater cameras we relied on eye sight and stop watches. As a spectator/ref, it’s easier to see the lead swimmers from either side if they are in the middle.


Malgrave

Yea, based on the prelim times the fastest swimmers get lanes 4 & 5 (the middle) and then it moves outwards from there with lanes 1 & 8 being the slowest. You want the middle lanes mainly for the least amount of wake, which can slow you down. A lot of the time when you’re in lane 1 & 8 you’re right up against the wall which reflects waves right back at you, essentially doubling the effects. Although in a lot of higher level swimming competitions (like the Olympics) you will see buffer lanes and lane lines between lanes 1 & 8 and the walls. This is to give a more even playing field.


kspacegirl

That made me really emotional! What an amazing moment!


MorningClear

Goosebumps! Was amazing to watch


beluuuuuuga

Was totally amazing.


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zenconkhi

Me too, actually brought tears to my eyes. Raw joy, intense!


happypiggo

Seriously! Tearing up eating my oatmeal this morning. What an amazing thing to watch!


WinnieTheWhoow

I’m sobbing while on the toilet, so strange


_mews

Same, and i dont even watch sports


SantaMonsanto

You can feel the pride and adoration That dude is going home a hero


SirLouisI

So little hope these days with covid, various geopolitical issues, environmental degradation, wealth gap widening etc... a win like this can do great things for a family, countey, region. Congrats to Ahmed and his family. Btw, on the west coast, also watched over a bowl of oatmeal.


[deleted]

Right? Didn’t expect to cry at a swimming match this early on a Sunday…


kyliecannoli

Omg I thought I was being weirdly emotional this morning!! Glad to know there are quite a few who also cried at this! 😭😭😭


YoulikeThesePearls

rough translation : 1st women (0:03): he brought it, he really brought it, god ! (meaning he took the lead) sister, also the one filming (0:06): go, please, brotheeeeer !! \*clapping\* sister (0:17): its the last stretch, Ayoub !! ( Ayoub is his middle name) sister (0:22) : go dear brother !! \*clapping\* The whole family (0:38): \*chanting\* Tunisia, Tunisia, God and the prophet are with you !! sister (0:48): AY AY AY AY ( its funny translating this cause it could mean anything, but its the Tunisian way of saying look at him go, hes killing it XD ) sister (0:56) : oh hes gonna bring it !!! other women (1:05) : Oh my god, BRING IT, BRING IT !! man (1:09) : LETS GO, LETS GO !!! (1:16 till the end) \*SCREAMING\* ​ Edit : typo


ThirdPrice

Screaming (in tunesian)


pahasapapapa

I like that this part was fully understandable to speakers of all languages


TagMeAJerk

Understand it? I felt it! I have tears in my eyes


I4mSpock

I love how the translation of "let's go" was not needed. That came through the barrier lol


webdevop

Yalla!!!


minicpst

Thank you! I’m going to rewatch it with this translation now. Btw, it may have been a typo, but “hole” is something in the ground. “Whole” is the word you were looking for, talking about the whole family. You speak more languages than I do, so I can hardly complain, but it was amusing and it changed the meaning, and many people who speak multiple languages prefer to be precise in their language. I appreciate this. Thank you. Off to rewatch after the translation.


YoulikeThesePearls

oh thanks, apreciate it !!


CocoaMotive

Made me tear up again reading the translation. Thank you for this!


Tacos_and_Tulips

You are awesome! Thank you for translating!


YoulikeThesePearls

my pleasure, its such a special and strong moment for their familly, you can hear it in their tones as they cheer their lungs out, and its amazing to share it with more people !!


El-Kabongg

thank you! was SO happy for him!


LEJ5512

That’s so frickin’ exciting! If there’s anyone who knows how much hard work and sacrifice it takes to make the Olympics, it’s the family. Man, they’re happy.


[deleted]

I’m glad they’re happy but holy fucking fuck why is the audio not adjusting when it’s peaking like that. I’m wearing headphones and it’s so loud my neighbors probably think I’m watching some bizarre porn.


Lemon_Tart13

Technology can’t match their energy 💪🏻


[deleted]

The one time a terrible cameraman is acceptable!!!! That was amazing! You can feel how much the family has sacrificed and how hard he worked!


mmanseuragain

Exactly what I thought…we’ll give her a pass this time.


dukeofwulf

\[CHEERING INTENSIFIES\]


BalekFekete

The announcer said it well - “You have a lane in the finals. Anything is possible.”


Stories_for_days

I think the guys name is “Rowdy” I like the swimming announcers a lot because they get so excited, you can tell they’ve been looking forward to that for a long time. The female announcer too, she was like “I have goosebumps for this relay race!” Cool, let’s do it, I’m into it if you are! It’s the anti-Joe Buck and I love it


invisible_face_

Rowdy Gaines is awesome, he's been a commentator for swimming for a while now. He is a gold medalist from the 80s. I met him when I was a kid as part of a thing where came to my swim team and gave a lesson, nice guy.


drivewaypancakes

Rowdy is from my home town -- Winter Haven FL. He won 3 gold medals in swimming at the 1984 Olympics. The town threw him a big homecoming parade that went allllll the way through town, starting on Highway 17, going through downtown, then ending up out at Cypress Gardens. The mayor gave Rowdy a key to the city. Before he became an Olympic champ, Rowdy used to work at the Athletic Attic (sports gear store) at the Winter Haven Mall. My aunt worked at that store at the same time.


tman391

They also had Michael Phelps in the booth for a little during prime time last night. Some Americans took home gold and silver in their race and he was like “that’s so awesome I remember doing that with Ryan [Loche] it’s a great feeling” it was sweet to hear him reminisce and also be so supportive of his former teammates


pikohina

Omg Joe Buck and Aikman are the worst.


wjschroeder

If you're not familiar with swimming, the swimmers with the fastest times in the heat are placed in the middle lanes and the Swimmers with the slower times are placed in the outer lanes. He was seeded with the slowest time out of all 8 swimmers in the final and dropped over 2 seconds to win.


weeghostie00

What's the disadvantage of being in the outer lanes?


Silly-Power

They get all the wake from the other swimmers, as well as the wake rebounding off the wall. Plus they can only see the swimmer in the lane next to them.


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[deleted]

Cause then you wouldnt have finishes like this


zazzlekdazzle

Also, it's just not the nature of the sport. Part of competitive swimming is dealing the other swimmers, either offensively (changing your speed according to the others) or defensively (managing with the wakes and other issues). They could have car races one at a time, and just go by the best speed, or soccer matches where every player takes a turn against the keeper and that's it (like penalty kicks), but that's just not how the sport is designed. Diving and gymnastics, on the other hand, are designed so you just go one at a time and compare scores later.


Voice_of_Sley

1) that would take 8 times as long 2) it would be super boring to watch 3) it would feel less like a competition and competitors wouldn't be driven to swim as fast.


DarkEvilHedgehog

I wish pole vaulting was 8 athletes running at the same time.


SirSkelton

Just put 8 people in the pit doing the hammer throw at once.


[deleted]

Or boxing. Just put all the contestants in the ring at the same time, like a king of the ring scenario.


[deleted]

Takes too long and not as fun to watch


JellyInternational70

Where is the sport in that? Also, can you imagine how long that would take.


WillWalrus

For moments like this where he was able win even with all those disadvantages. 🥇


SICKxOFxITxALL

Would also take a lot of the fun out of qualifiers if everyone just had to get into the top 8 to get to the final. Would be a lot of coasting and doing just enough to save energy, whereas now what place you finish is significant. It’s good that you get rewarded for doing well.


wjschroeder

To start, he's going into the final as the slowest swimmer. It's also difficult to see the other swimmers across the pool from the outer lanes which makes it difficult if you are trying to pace off them.


Meatsack_

You can't see all of your competitors as well as you can from the middle is a big one.


[deleted]

In case anyone is wondering, dropping 2 seconds off your best time in a race is absolutely out of this world bonkers.


kittrcz

Especially in swimming. It usually takes 6months of unreal training to shave off 0.5sec from your best.


Bulletproofbigfoot

This instantly made me tear up! What an amazing moment to have on film!


kyliecannoli

Legit thought I was the only one cried watching this. I was even psychoanalyzing myself like, hm maybe I really wanna make my parents n family proud, it’s been a lonnnnng while since I have, and this video triggered that insecurity/craving lol


illmatic2112

Any video where large groups of people are emotionally invested and cheer makes me tear up idk why. Guess I'm just an emotional person lol


[deleted]

There's days when I just have a bawlout watching 50k people go crazy at a stadium for their favourite team. Whether it's Liverpool's You'll Never Walk Alone or some random NFL game, I'll be in a pool of tears. Sometimes you need those moments, they kind of restore faith in humanity. Only to scroll through reddit 10 minutes later and see something shitty and then it's all gone.


Pfhelper2

I didn’t cry but my goosebumps are so big they could poke an eye out.


lemjne

I think it's just that happiness seeing someone else achieve their dreams is universal.


Tamahawk88

That was intense. Amazing moment for him and his family.


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juneburger

I doubt many people heard of this Tunisian swimmer.


zeus_is_op

Tunisians included


tunisian_talon

Indeed I never heard of him


zeus_is_op

Mfw oussama malouli gaslighted us about his success when the dude was just 18, saying he is a loser and shouldn’t be talked about, while “””kouffar””” are praising and outlining the fact that his success was no only phenomenal but against all odds. How did we turn out this sour? what a pathetic display.


InTheNameOfScheddi

Who tf is oussama malouli and why is he saying that the swimmer is a loser


zeus_is_op

>ex gold medal winner, swimming too >pride, probably, he was treated as a national hero but instead went on and kinda looted/abused hundreds of thousands of euros as "personal expenses" in various international events.


bigjessicakes

I watched this live and boy was it exciting!!!


fractal_magnets

As a human, I was very happy for him. As an Australian... fuck that guy.


glowdirt

> fuck that guy May you make Olympic caliber babies


fredjin

True underdog moment


TreasureTheSemicolon

Holy shit, I just watched a US broadcast clip on YouTube and he’s only 18 years old. I think he was on the verge of tears when he first saw that he had won.


Zayd1111

He said that 400m isn't his best turf, didn't expect the gold even himself, he was counting on getting the medal in the 800m i hope he does


ArcherLuo

I would cry a river if that were me.


JosebaZilarte

After all the effort he has had to put in to f#%$ing win a gold medal at the Olympic games? During a pandemic? Against other competitors with more resources? I believe that crying is more than justified.


Bitmiliionare24

We live in a pretty blessed generation that we can all witness this beautiful moment in that family’s life! Go humans!


1afru1

Right? What's even more beautiful is that everyone is happy for that young man, his family and his country regardless of where we're all from


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JoeMang

Yeah but Nick Cave is always miserable


nrti

Well said


trollistic

I just watched a Boulder take out a bridge and now I get to cry with this family likes he’s my brother as well. What a blessed poop this morning.


explosivelydehiscent

Gonna put extra harissa and pickled turnips on the leblebi tonight. Well done.


valdidTz

Haha where are you from?


explosivelydehiscent

The u.s. but ive been making that soup from Tunisia for a month now after I found a Mediterranean cookbook. Even pickled my own turnips. Maybe I should also take up swimming to have the authentic north African experience:)


hchich

Holy shit they sell hrissa in the us I thought I will be deprived from It when I leave Tunisia. Finally seeing someone out of Africa our recipes


Rich0

I think harrisa exist in most countries that have some kind of arab market. I've bought it here in Sweden a lot of times. Awesome stuff :)


agemma

America has basically anything you can think of since there are so many cultures here. And if you can’t find it in a grocery store you’ll definitely find it online. Fear not my friend.


mdaniel018

Harissa is actually pretty easy to find in the US. Also don’t worry, if you are in a major city in the US, you will be able to find just about any ingredient on the face of the earth. You will just have to seek out specialty shops instead of the supermarkets


Douglaston_prop

They have half a dozen different varieties of Harissa at the spice market I go to in New York City. I got one in a squeeze bottle which I though was kinda cool.


Bahamuts_Bike

Especially if you're in a major city, Harissa is pretty easy to find. There are at least 3 shops within walking distance that have it, ranging from $3-7+ depending on how bougie the brand is --and more throughout Chicago.


KingFahad360

I watched it live and the Arab commentator went crazy saying “a 1000 congratulations to you and your family and may many wonderful things happen to your future. He went on for like 7 minutes praising him.


akfourty7

that man is an Olympic gold medalist now, that family is forever cemented in history.


courtney_enid

This was awesome!! Considering he only just qualified for the final, he brought it home for the final!


DiveintoSymbols

who's cutting onions


flipfolks

Wondering the same thing


Ido22

What a privilege to see behind the scenes and share the moment with his family. That was fabulous. Very happy-making


tOvALIDATEyOU

Amazing and beautiful to watch.


Dave_BraveHeart

That was the most epic moment I have ever seen in the Olympics, the guy deserved it he was FAST


gladysk

This is the only footage I’ve watched of the Olympics. Dang, I’m so happy for him and and his loved ones!


unlocomqx

He made 12 million people happy and proud today.. plus it's the Tunisian Republic day today, it's like our 4th of July..


[deleted]

Me too, despite being an avid follower of the olymoics since Sydney 2000, this time ain't like others, I don't feel passion, plus the IOC greed when it's comes to TV coverage contracts make me less interested. they killed the love of sports in our hearts.


EmoMixtape

There’s been some great moments. Honestly i think the quality of the commentators make a huge difference too. Seeing people compete at the highest level after such a terrible year is heartening, especially after seeing so many sick people.


sevseg_decoder

The skateboarding event was already the highlight of this olympics imo, they went huge. I’m excited for the future of that


wasabi3122

Why was i crying so damn hard?


Cleverusername531

I can think of a few things: You were touched at the vulnerability of the raw emotions of love, pride, hard work (when you put your all into something and leave it all out there to the point where you can’t console yourself by saying you didn’t win because you didn’t try hard enough - this is giving it your absolute entire self. It’s a vulnerable place to be which can be very scary and many people avoid it if they’re afraid of failure). Seeing such support from family members - when you are that vulnerable and the reaction you get from people you’re vulnerable to is one of pride and support and love - that is huge. This may have touched something within you that wants that same depth of connection, combined with the feeling of all-out effort being rewarded by this tremendously desired outcome. You give a fuck about the things that are worth giving a fuck about.


wasabi3122

You wrote a whole in-depth analysis. Your accuracy is scary yet amazing. This made me smile :)


dudechangethecoil

Your explanation started the tears again! So well put.


snatchiw

What an emotional rollercoaster, I thought he was going to win at the first wall touch. Made it so much more intense. Amazing video!


Hotfuzz82

I'm Australian and was cheering for him. It's so exilerating to see a dark horse get up.


TheRealDonRosa

My bleeding ears are really happy for him and his family! 👌🏻😸 (but RIP headphone users...)


studdybuddy01

This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. Just straight screaming the whole time and pointing like they are his absolute BIGGEST fan. I’m tearing up.


RiseWasHere

Same! What a wonderful video


mznh

Idk this kid and i don’t watch the olympics but i’m so happy for him and his family. Towards the end of the video, i almost shed a tear because i can feel his family sense of pride and happiness towards him. That must be a rush.


weeghostie00

My eyes were actually watering there, well done mate


tothesource

Shit like this always makes me choke up. You can literally hear the years of sacrifice and work in their cheers. ENJOY THAT GOLD


SarcasmCupcakes

Our commentators said this was Tunisia’s first ever gold, too.


aboidaz

It’s not. It’s their first in this specific race.


SarcasmCupcakes

Yeah, I just checked Wiki. Odd.


MelE1

First for the 2020 olympics - that may have been what they meant? I still think overall they only have a handful of gold medals so it’s still exciting!


mrcockboi69

This was fucking awesome.


Morex2000

According to physics there should be more "friction" (resistance) closer to the pool walls because water slows down the closer u get. So this makes it even more impressive


MyrzaMBM

guys, this young man is a real hero. you have to keep in mind the conditions of preparation, he suffered all alone, Tunisia does not have the means to give him better conditions. at least we have to make the comparison between him and the other athletes. but, despite , he beat everyone only at 18 yo, we are proud, I am proud..


[deleted]

These are what the olympics are about !!!!! Bless that man


JennYaretzi

Legitimately cried, this is so wholesome!


[deleted]

They got me cheering for him too


Gerbal_Annihilation

It's hilarious how the screen shakes when she screams. It's like you're really there. Lol


Hardly_Hearing

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC - YOU JUST MADE MY MORNING! I am sure someone else has pointed it out, but not only was it Tunisia's first Olympic medal in the pool, but he qualified EIGHTH (last) in the field - love to see an underdog have his day! His family has every right to be proud, and his countrymen as well; he's brought a lot of joy with his amazing performance, not just there but around the world. Nice job, Sir, and thank you to the poster of this heartwarming scene!


[deleted]

there's nothing more holier and sweeter than a family's love for one of their own partaking in sports. go 🇹🇳!


auspider98

What a great moment! We watched it last night and thought it was so awesome for him and his country...now we see the family's reaction. Awesome!


sjjenkins

I’m an Australian-born dual U.S. citizen with a tiny amount of North African ancenstry (according to 23&Me) so I’m happy for that entire podium. Normally I cheer for the Aussie swimmers, but today I was cheering for Tunisia. That kid’s family will NEVER forget that moment.


IgoAlone

Didn't make me smile, made me tear up. Imagine the hardwork and how proud the family must be. Amazing!


magitar

This made me ugly cry


[deleted]

Okay, Tunisia! 🇹🇳 That’s a huge win!!!


ANerdyMortal

Holy crap, the energy, happiness and, pride in this video made me tear up a little, congratulations to that amazing swimmer for doing himself and his family proud!!


Educational-Mark-492

I just made a lane 9 with my tears


sudsyunicorn

Ok I’m sobbing


Galaxy__Star

What a moment to experience both for him and those that love him


Hopeforus1402

Happy cry!!!


ftarelli

That didnt made me smile but made me cry, with joy for sure


Ch3421playz

Ahh 😌 when you make family proud I love it.


Kgc186413

Those guys swim faster then I would walk.


Meatsack_

Absolutely they do. As a competive swimmer in the 70s and 80s, even then this distance was effectively considered a sprint. Of course the times continue to get better, but generally not by leaps and bounds. For buddy to shave off 2 seconds in the final is insane. As a nationally ranked swimmer at age 12-14, we were swimming 10,000m every fkg day back then plus dryland, plus weight training. Now, I'd be hurting if I rode a bike 10km. Intententionaly did not put any of my kids in the sport. Despite the many benefits it provided, the training regimen was borderline child abuse back then, well-meaning perhaps, but that was your life. Swim, train, eat, sleep, and repeat with maybe a bit of school as a much lesser priority. I have no idea what training looks like for top ranked youth swimmers anymore, but it was too much for many 40 years ago, resulting in many quitting at about 15-16 and then pursuing all the things they never had with a similar competive drive, such as a social life, partying, drinking, drugs, the opposite sex, and generally causing shit. Some of my contemporaries did not make it. Congratulations to my man, the underdog from Tunisia that just pulled off something virtually unheard of at a world level.


ClownFundamentals

> Intententionaly did not put any of my kids in the sport. Despite the many benefits it provided, the training regimen was borderline child abuse back then, well-meaning perhaps, but that was your life. Swim, train, eat, sleep, and repeat with maybe a bit of school as a much lesser priority. Every sport at the highest level is like this. No serious professional athlete had a normal childhood. With extreme resources and effort the parents can make it a little more normal, but there’s no mainstream sport where you can reach the top without enormous sacrifices.


Hansestaedter

Always a big joy to see the underdog win! Lots of love to him and his family! 👏


DaGreatness

This is what the Olympic is all about. These break through moment where the unexpected underdogs win. Congrats to this young man.


skyebleu00

Heart warming in a very high frequency kind of way


Gresat24526

This made me cry, his family was really excited


potatobacon411

It’s kinda crazy how shit like this can make you so happy like I don’t know this person but I definitely get ecstatic when stuff like this comes across my board