Olympics viewers are flooding to social media in shock after only just realizing where competitors’ legs go in the canoe.

If like me, you were forced on a family trip on a kayak down some river in France – which would inevitably up in an argument and threat to shove someone in the water – and thought because of the experience, you already how people sit in a kayak or canoe, then you are gravely mistaken.

Not only are kayaks and canoes very different apparatus but you probably didn’t realise that, from the waist down, not is all quite as it seems when it comes to the Olympic canoeists you may be currently watching compete on TV.

Clearly, it is a lot more difficult to manoeuvre a canoe than most of us think – it is an Olympic sport after all – and that’s not just the fact of being in gushing water and having to make your way round various poles while battling the current, but it’s also because you probably didn’t realise how many professional canoeists are sat.

Or rather, not sat.

A video of French canoeist Doriane Delassus has been shared to Instagram by Planet Canoe, which teased: “Ever wonder how athletes get out of a canoe?”

The footage shows Delasses get to the end of a course, before getting up to get out of the canoe, the clip revealing canoeists aren’t sat on their bums inside the boats but are actually kneeling.

And it’s not taken long for people to flood to social media in shock.

Professional canoeists kneel in their boats (Instagram/ @planetcanoe)

One Instagram user said: “You’re telling me that they were on their knees the whole time?!?! For some reason I always assumed that they sat with their legs straight.”

“THEY’RE ON THEIR KNEES?” another added.

A third commented: “Ur supposed to canoe on your knees?!?!!?!!? I never knew that.”

“On your knees gives you THE MOST control over the canoe/kayak itself. I got a lvl 1 Orcka in white water canoeing (could have been 2 but lazy).” a fourth said. “You WANT to be on your knees in aggressive water like that. Center of gravity, points of contact bla bla bla.”

For those of you still a bit confused – like me – GoPaddling explains: “Canoeing involves sitting or kneeling in an open boat using a paddle with one blade. “Whereas in a kayak, you sit down with your legs in front of you, while propelling forward with a double bladed paddle.”

And when it comes to the kneeling part, Paddling.com adds: “Kneeling off the seat is a much more stable position. Not only does it lower your center of gravity, but it gives you more intimate contact with, and therefore more control of, the canoe.”

And a final simply resolved: “Learning something new everyday.”

An athletic couple due to marry next month got the worst send off from the Olympics in Paris after being disqualified before the race even began

Team GB athletes John Gimson and Anna Burnet looked like they were living the dream – their marriage is next month and they got the chance to leave the 2024 Paris Olympics with a medal for their country.

The sailors arrived in Paris hoping to replicate their success in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where they were able to go away with a silver medal in mixed multihull sailing event.

But the pair admitted to being ‘heartbroken’ after realizing an error in the double-points medal race had cost them their chances at the podium in the event this year.

John Gimson and Anna Burnet were disqualified before the mixed multihull event began. (Clive Mason/Getty Images)

The duo were judged to have been over the line when the starting horn sounded.

According to the race rules, they needed to go back and perform a 360 degree turn before restarting the race.

However, the pair were unaware of their error and continued to race on, only to be informed that they had been disqualified by the umpire.

The pair spoke to the BBC after getting back on land and were visibly upset about how things had turned out.

Gimson said: “[This has been] the most brutal way to lose because it is so out of our control. I’m so proud of this week, how we sailed.

“To be honest, I felt so in control of ourselves going into that start, [we knew] what the plan was, where the Kiwis were… and yeah.

“We made one mistake and it’s cost us an Olympic medal so you can imagine we’re pretty broken.”

Burnet echoed her soon-to-be husband’s sentiments but also offered an optimistic outlook going forward.

The pair were visibly upset after their failure to start the race. (Clive Mason/Getty Images)

The Scotswoman said: “In that moment it’s devastating, it’s a bad dream but we can just be proud of what we have done.

“We have been on the podium almost every single regatta this campaign. We are Olympic silver medalists from Tokyo.

“You know, that is sport, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t and today it didn’t.

“We are so lucky that we get to do this together. Sport has been brutal but life goes on and we’ll get married and life will be great. It’s brutal but that’s all it is.”

Now, that’s a brilliant attitude to have, despite the result.

Over on social media, fans have also been offering words of encouragement to the athlete couple and have insisted they have done Great Britain proud regardless.

One picture from the 2024 Paris Olympics has moved people all around the world as it managed to show how conflicting nations can somehow find unity.

The Olympics is meant to be a great time for the nations of the world to come together in compete on the biggest stage for one of the biggest honors in their respective sports.

Occasionally people forget that, but thankfully one picture is going viral on social media and highlighting the spirit of international cooperation and good fun.

If you were to list the first two countries that would hug it out and smile for a picture together on the podium, I’d wager a North Korean athlete and a South Korean would be far down your list.

But it seems the world was privileged enough to see this historic moment after the mixed table tennis doubles:

China’s team took away the gold medal, with North Korea coming in second with silver and South Korea third with bronze.

On the podium, North Korea’s Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong, South’s Shin Yu-bin and the victorious Chinese team Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha all smiled for a selfie.

This is quite the moment since earlier this year, North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un declared South its principal enemy and would no longer seek peaceful reunification.

On Twitter, people have highlighted just how monumental a moment this is.

China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha (centre), North Korea’s Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong (left), and South Korea’s Lim Jonghoon and Shin Yu-bin (right). (Yao Yingkang/Zhejiang Daily/VCG via Getty Images)

People have praised the teams for the historic selfie. (Zhao Wenyu/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)

One user wrote: “These might just be the most significant photos from the @Paris2024 Olympics.

“North & South Korea coming together, with China, for a group selfie after the table tennis mixed doubles finals. A praiseworthy moment of sportsmanship, friendship & peace!

“What a fantastic gesture from North Korea athletes: before receiving silver medal, they step down from the podium and go round to salute expressively the South Korea athletes who got bronze medal,” another wrote about their overall attitude towards each other.

“This is the Olympics, this is the Olympic spirit. I hope the young people enjoy it,” a third wrote.

“This is why the Olympic are so important. It warms my heart. I would love to see this selfie,” another commented.

Ri Jong Sik and Kum Yong Kim with their silver medals. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

The Olympics allows interactions between North and South Koreans as both nations, who are technically still at war with one another.

In recent months, tensions have still been high between the two nations.

In what seems to be quite the petty act, North Korea has dropped at least 260 balloons carrying rubbish in the South.

Let’s hope small moments like this can help quell the bad blood between the two nations.

While the Olympics is known for incredible sporting feats, there seems to have been just as many surprises outside of the events.

Paraguayan swimmer Luana Alonso was reportedly asked to leave the Olympic Village by her team and go home in a surprising turn of events.

The swimmer currently holds Paraguayan records in the 50m, 100m and 200m Butterfly events, however, she had an underwhelming run at the Olympic Games this year.

Team Paraguay (COP) issued a statement saying Alonso had created an ‘inappropriate environment’ but did not go into further details about what that meant.

Larissa Schaerer, the head of the COP, said: “Her presence is creating an inappropriate atmosphere within Team Paraguay.

Luana Alonso had a disappointing run in her events at this year’s Olympics. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

“We thank her for proceeding as instructed, as it was of her own free will that she did not spend the night in the Athletes’ Village.”

Alonso hasn’t given much more information about the whole drama herself but her Instagram page shows the 20-year-old has since returned to US, where she is studying at a university in Dallas, Texas.

Alonso admitted she isn’t yet ready to issue an official statement about what occurred but has taken to social media to address the ‘lies’ that have begun circulating since her departure.

She wrote: “I just wanted to clarify that I was never kicked out or expelled from anywhere, please stop spreading false information.

“I don’t want to make any statement but I’m not going to let lies affect me either.”

Alonso also announced that she would retiring from swimming but insisted it had nothing to do with her performance at this year’s games.

The athlete went out of the games after finishing sixth in the Women’s 100m Butterfly heats and failed to qualify for the semi-finals with her time of 1:03.09 – three seconds below her personal best.

Alonso took to Instagram to dispel the ‘lies’. (Instagram/@luanalonsom)

On her retirement, the swimmer said: “It’s official now! I’m retiring from swimming, thank you all so much for the support! Sorry Paraguay, I only have to thank you.

“Swimming: thank you for allowing me to dream, you taught me to fight, to try, perseverance, sacrifice, discipline and many more.

“I gave you part of my life and I don’t change it for anything in the world because I lived the best experiences of my life, you gave me thousands of joys, friends from other countries that I will always carry them in my heart, unique opportunities.

“It’s not goodbye, it’s see you soon.”

UNILAD has previously contacted POC and Alonso for comment.

Team USA’s current medal count – 79

Gold medalists

• Lee Kiefer: Fencing – Women’s individual foil
• Torri Huske: Swimming – Women’s 100m butterfly
• Jack Alexj, Chris Guiliano, Hunter Armstrong, Caeleb Dressel, Ryan Held, Matt King: Swimming – Men’s 4x100m freestyle
• Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, Hezly Rivera: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s team competition
• Katie Ledecky: Swimming – Women’s 1500m freestyle
• Nick Mead, Justin Best, Michael Grady and Liam Corrigan: Rowing – Men’s coxless four
• Jacqueline Dubrovich, Lee Kiefer, Lauren Scruggs, Maia Mei Weintraub – Fencing: Women’s foil team
• Simone Biles: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s individual all-around
• Kate Douglass: Swimming – Women’s 200m breaststroke
• Simone Biles: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s vault
• Vincent Hancock: Shooting – Men’s skeet
• Ryan Crouser: Athletics – Men’s shot put
• Katie Ledecky: Swimming – Women’s 800m freestyle
• Nic Fink, Torri Huske, Ryan Murphy, Gretchen Walsh: Swimming – Mixed 4x100m medley relay
• Bobby Finke: Swimming – Men’s 1500m freestyle
• Kristen Faulkner: Cycling – Women’s road race
• Scottie Scheffler: Golf – Men’s individual stroke play
• Noah Lyles: Athletics – Men’s 100m
• Regan Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske: Swimming – Women’s 4x100m medley relay
• Valarie Allman: Athletics – Women’s discus throw
• Caroline Marks: Surfing – Women’s Shortboard

Silver medalists

• Nic Fink: Swimming – Men’s 100m breaststroke
• Lauren Scruggs: Fencing – Women’s individual foil
• Gretchen Walsh: Swimming – Women’s 100m butterfly
• Haley Batten: Mountain Bike – Women’s cross country
• Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh. Torri Huske, Simone Manuel, Erika Connolly, Abbey Weitzel: Swimming – Women’s 4x100m freestyle
• Sarah Bacon and Kassidy Cook: Diving – Women’s springboard 3m synchronised
• Katie Grimes: Swimming – Women’s 400m individual medley
• Jagger Eaton: Skateboarding – Men’s street
• Regan Smith: Swimming – Women’s 100m backstroke
• Bobby Finke: Swimming – Men’s 800m freestyle
• Carson Foster, Brooks Curry, Chris Guiliano, Luke Hobson, Drew Kibler, Blake Pieroni, Kieran Smith: Swimming – Men, 4x200m freestyle
• Perris Benegas: Cycling – Women’s BMX freestyle
• Torri Huske: Swimming – Women’s 100m freestyle
• Regan Smith: Swimming – Women’s 200m butterfly
• Erin Gemell, Katie Ledecky, Paige Madden, Simone Manuel, Anna Peplowski, Alex Shackell, Claire Weinstein: Swimming – Women’s 4x200m freestyle
• Karl Cook, Laura Kraut, McLain Ward: Equestrian – Jumping team
• Sagen Maddalena: Shooting – Women, 50m rifle 3 positions
• Regan Smith: Swimming – Women’s 200m backstroke
• Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram: Tennis – Men’s doubles
• Conner Prince: Shooting – Men’s skeet
• Joe Kovacs: Athletics – Men’s shot put
• Kaylyn Brown, Bryce Deadmon, Shamier Little, Vernon Norwood: Athletics – 4x400m relay mixed
• Sha’Carri Richardson: Athletics – Women’s 100m
• Kate Douglass: Swimming – Women’s 200m individual medley
• Brady Ellison: Archery: Men’s individual
• Hunter Armstrong, Caeleb Dressel, Nic Fink, Ryan Murphy: Swimming – Men’s 4x100m medley relay
• Seth Rider, Taylor Spivey, Morgan Pearson and Taylor Knibb: Triathlon – Mixed relay
• Simone Biles: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s floor exercise
• Sam Kendricks: Athletics – Men’s pole vault
• Vincent Hancock and Jewell Austen Smith: Shooting – Mixed team skeet

Bronze medalists

• Carson Foster: Swimming – Men’s 400m individual medley
• Katie Ledecky: Swimming – Women’s 400m freestyle
• Chloe Dygert: Cycling – Women’s individual time trial
• Frederick Richard, Brody Malone, Stephen Nedoroscik, Paul Juda, Asher Hong: Artistic Gymnastics – Men’s team competition
• Nick Itkin: Fencing – Men’s foil individual
• Emma Weyant: Swimming – Women’s 400m individual medley
• Ryan Murphy: Swimming – Men’s 100m backstroke
• Luke Hobson: Swimming – Men’s 200m freestyle
• Nyjah Huston: Skateboarding – Men’s street
• Ilona Maher, Kayla Canett, Lauren Doyle, Alev Kelter, Kristi Kirshe, Sarah Levy, Alena Olsen, Ariana Ramsey, Steph Rovetti, Alex Sedrick, Sammy Sullivan, Naya Tapper: Rugby 7s – Women’s team competition
• Katharine Berkoff: Swimming – Women’s 100m backstroke
• Evy Leibfarth: Canoe slalom – Women’s Canoe Single
• Suni Lee: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s individual all-around
• Casey Kaufhold, Brady Ellison: Archery – Mixed Team
• Grant Fisher: Athletics – Men’s 10,000m
• Ian Barrows and Hans Henken: Sailing – Men’s skiff
• Henry Hollingsworth, Nick Rusher, Christian Tabash, Clark Dean, Chris Carlson, Peter Chatain, Evan Olson, Pieter Quinton: Rowing – Men’s eight
• Stephen Nedoroscik: Gymnastics – Men’s pommel horse
• Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul: Tennis – Men’s doubles
• Jade Carey: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s vault
• Jasmine Moore: Athletics – Women’s triple jump
• Melissa Jefferson: Athletics – Women’s 100m
• Paige Madden: Swimming – Women’s 800m freestyle
• Suni Lee: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s uneven bars
• Austen Jewell Smith: Shooting – Women’s skeet
• Fred Kerley: Athletics – Men’s 100m
• Jordan Chiles: Artistic Gymnastics – Women’s floor exercise
• Cierra Burdick, Dearica Hamby, Rhyne Howard, Hailey van Lith: 3×3 basketball – Women’s competition