A viral video has highlighted the astonishing speed difference between Olympic swimmers and regular folks.
If you consider yourself a competent swimmer, your confidence might waver after viewing this clip that was uploaded to X, formerly known as Twitter.
Although some claim this year’s Olympic swimmers are slightly slower, they are still significantly faster than the average person.
The video is from an event called Sprint with the Stars, where ordinary people race against Olympic athletes like Adam Peaty, David Popovici, James Guy, and Sydney Pickrem.
The competition involves a 50m sprint across all strokes.
Each age group sees nine participants racing from the Heats to the Showcase Finals.
However, in the final, the middle lane is reserved for a star guest, who has to catch up after a ‘handicap age-related head start’ for the other swimmers.
This rarely prevents the professional swimmers from overtaking.
In the viral video, you can see a lineup of seven swimmers who all hit the water, aiming for first place.
However, one Olympian stayed behind until the others reached the halfway mark before diving in.
The Olympian then joins the race, catching up at an incredible pace, and reaches the finish line almost simultaneously with the others, if not first.
Viewers in the comments were amazed at the stark difference in speed.
One commenter remarked that it was ‘unbelievable’.
Another user wrote: “Like racing your little siblings and giving them a head start.”
Someone else commented: “It’s actually crazy how fast they are! Extremely talented and hard workers!”
Another added: “The Olympic swimmer doesn’t need the head start. Skill and stamina are on his side.”
A fourth person wrote: “I prefer watching Olympic swimmers, they have that extra level of dedication and skill.”
Another commented: “This feels almost disrespectful.”
Sprint with the Stars started in 2019 but paused due to the Covid-19 pandemic, resuming strongly in 2022.
The 2024 event is scheduled for September 1, 2024, at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre in Birmingham, UK.
With numerous Olympic medallists set to compete, it’s expected to be a memorable event.
Athletes like two-time Olympic Champion James Guy and silver medallist Luke Greenbank will certainly make the competition intense for their challengers.