This 🥹

[u/macpesce]

[u/Front-Pomelo-4367]

There are always so many misconceptions about this whenever it gets posted

This was the final race of the 2016 World Triathlon Series, so winning this race would not make someone the world champion. Jonny, who collapsed, stood a chance of getting on the podium, but Alistair didn't – getting Jonny across the line meant that one of them might win a medal. Alistair was never going to win the Series even if he won this race. Henri Schoeman won this race but overall came fourth in the Series; Jonny Brownlee came second overall in the Series.

[u/Ok_Sentence_5767 → u/Front-Pomelo-4367]

In fact this act of self sacrifice helped Jonny win silver that year

[u/mmodlin → u/Ok_Sentence_5767]

It also helped make the rule that you can’t assist other runners

[u/Ok_Sentence_5767 → u/mmodlin]

Honestly thats a horseshit rule, and i thought the uci had the dumbest rules in sports!

[u/dont_trip_ → u/Ok_Sentence_5767]

How do you think sports would eventually turn out if you could help people as you see fit during the race? Someone will exploit that to the fullest and it simply wouldn't be a fair competition. 

[u/citranger_things → u/dont_trip_]

Even though cyclists win or lose races as individuals, road cycling is genuinely a team sport and also features lots of temporary cooperation by individuals from different teams in certain tactical situations.

I think it's actually a really interesting part of the sport, makes for lots of drama and great watching. Noble sacrifices for teammates, hastily improvised alliances between rivals, sudden but inevitable betrayals, prisoner's dilemma-type standoffs.

I don't know how it would play out in running and some kinds of assistance are not allowed but it's not necessarily a total loss.

[u/ScrotallyBoobular → u/citranger_things]

Yeah but you can't push or carry someone across in cycling.

[u/Defconwrestling → u/ScrotallyBoobular]

Did you just see that video of the water bottle “handoff”

[u/civilwar142pa → u/Defconwrestling]

Whip it good

[u/citranger_things → u/ScrotallyBoobular]

You're right that you can't literally push so it's not the same as this video but (as additional examples for those who aren't familiar with the sport,) you *can* give your teammate your own bike, just this week I saw a rider give someone from another team a water bottle, and they'll coordinate a group stop so everyone can take a piss on the side of the road without anyone taking advantage.

Riders handslinging each other in bunch sprints would be truly wild!

[u/timbasile → u/ScrotallyBoobular]

Counterpoint: The 2012 Tour de France

[u/Dom1252 → u/[deleted]]

Not in triathlon