- The Dutch speed skater Kai Verbij conceded a race to Laurent Dubreuil during a lane change.
- Dubreuil had the right of way, and Verbij slowed down to let the Canadian pass him.
The Canadian speed skater Laurent Dubreuil thanked an opponent for a "classy" move that allowed him to win a silver medal in the 1,000-meter event at the Beijing Olympics.
Dubreuil was paired with the Netherlands' Kai Verbij in the men's 1,000-meter final. As they headed into the final lap, the skaters were due for a lane change, with Dubreuil on the outside line heading in to take Verbij's spot on the inside lane.
According to Reuters, skaters who move from the outside in have the right of way, and Verbij slowed down to let Dubreuil in, essentially conceding the race.
Verbij stood up from his crouching position to let Dubreuil pass, then coasted the rest of the way, finishing in last place by over three seconds.
"I didn't have enough speed to go before him at the lane change," Verbij said afterward, according to Reuters. "I just had to quit, because otherwise I would have been disqualified and probably messed up his race."
Dubreuil was grateful for the move.
"I can't say thank you enough for him. That was a really professional and classy move to do," Dubreuil said afterward.
He added: "It's tough to do that in an Olympic race."
Dubreuil called Verbij a "friend" and said he'd give him time to decompress before personally thanking him.
Indeed, Verbij, the reigning world champion in the 1,000 meters, was struggling to accept that he had to concede an Olympic medal.
"It's pretty sad, and I'm pretty disappointed that it happened at the Olympics, but yeah," Verbij said, according to Reuters. "Someone has to lose I guess."