#joren biebuyck

[thankyoufinnick]

Their documentary on the 2023 Barkeley is out! It's best watched, I think, after the other 2023 Barkley documentary, because they clearly tried not to overlap much at all, to the point where that tender embrace isn't even included!! (What were they thinking??) But the new documentary does cover the full longer hug later, whereas the other documentary panned away partway through (it was a looong hug), and the new documentary translates a bunch of the dialogue.

Oh, speaking of translation, I've been going back and forth between saying Dutch and Flemish for what they're speaking, because it wasn't clear to me which it was, and Karel has now confirmed it's West Flemish. Not always intelligible even to speakers of East Flemish, apparently!

Yes, I'm a bit of a language geek.

In other Karel/Joren hug news, one of their best took place at Laz's Big's Backyard Ultra in 2020, where Karel was world champion and Joren lifted him off his feet and spun him around. It's a 20-second video here and well worth watching if you like how over-the-top these two can be. (If Karel seems a little out of it, he's been awake and running for 75 hours with only minutes of sleep.) Oh, and that's Karel's wife, Emma, trying to get in on the celebratory hug action, and failing because Joren has completely monopolized his BFF, lol. (Don't worry, she gets a hug and a kiss later.)

There's also this easy-to-miss but hilarious fact that in one of Karel's other documentaries, it shows Karel hugging friends and family one after another after setting yet another world record. The film clearly cuts mid-action to a different Karel/Joren hug and then cuts back to the sequence of hugs with everyone else. Piecing this together with the uncut raw footage on Facebook, I realized that the original post-race Karel/Joren hug was kind of meh, and then they shared a more enthusiastic one a bit later.

What this means is someone involved in the filmmaking decided that it was worth splicing in a completely separate, better hug into an otherwise unbroken sequence of events...because...they know what the people want, I guess? LOL forever.

These two. :D

Ok, I don’t go here,* but. Karel Sabbe’s friend tenderly holding him after he (Karel Sabbe) slumps to the ground at the gate, and saying something very close to his face that we can’t hear, and gently helping him out of his running vest. What was I saying about Barkley. Some brothers-in-arms shit. Over the top. I’m about it.

*male athletes

Also the fact that this is the first thing Google has to say about Karel Sabbe

[thankyoufinnick]

Verdict from Karel's documentary, which just came out: it skips over the initial embrace (and forehead kiss!--unforgivable :P), so no subtitles for that bit, but after Karel's lying down, Joren asks him if he wants anything to drink, and Karel answers, "Sparkling water." So that's one minor mystery solved!

Watch the documentary! These two are amazing. <3

Ok, I don’t go here,* but. Karel Sabe’s friend tenderly holding him after he (Karel Sabbe) slumps to the ground at the gate, and saying something very close to his face that we can’t hear, and gently helping him out of his running vest. What was I saying about Barkley. Some brothers-in-arms shit. Over the top. I’m about it.

*male athletes

Also the fact that this is the first thing Google has to say about Karel Sabbe

[thankyoufinnick]

YES THIS OMG. The friend is Joren Biebuyck, Karel's brother-in-law/physio/best friend, and the bromance is *so amazing* it inspired a ship manifesto from me over on Dreamwidth. The final hug, after Karel's recovered, omg!

Okay, the ship manifesto presupposes you've read my intro to the Barkley, oh, and then there's my fan theory.

I also have more material (and fan theories) about them if you want, just ask! They have interviews, videos, news articles, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter material that I'm mining for goodies!

saying something very close to his face that we can’t hear

I'm pretty sure we can hear it fine, it's just that it's in Dutch (Flemish) and I don't speak Dutch. (I can read about 50% of what's written about Karel, thanks to German, but understanding speech is a no-go.) Someone who does understand it was able to subtitle Karel's words as "I'm going to lie down for a bit, I want to lie down for a bit", and that's much less clear than whatever Joren's saying. (Based on his tone and body language, my guess would be "You did it, you did it!" but who knows. I would love for a Dutch/Flemish speaker to weigh in.)

Karel also murmurs something to Joren when he's lying down, which I think is in English and is "Stop it, it's okay," but could be Dutch "I need some water" for all I know.

I also want to know who says "Do not be sorry" when Karel apologizes for the drama. It's a very clear American accent that's not Joren (he not only has an accent in English, but he has a distinctive voice, plus his mouth doesn't seem to be moving), and isn't Laz or Ed Furtaw either, but it sounds naggingly familiar! At first I thought it was John Kelly, and it might be (we know he's right there), but it could also be Fegy. Would love to know!

ETA: Having listened to more John Kelly interviews, it doesn't sound like him. Might still be Fegy, or could be someone I don't recognize.

Ok, I don’t go here,* but. Karel Sabe’s friend tenderly holding him after he (Karel Sabbe) slumps to the ground at the gate, and saying something very close to his face that we can’t hear, and gently helping him out of his running vest. What was I saying about Barkley. Some brothers-in-arms shit. Over the top. I’m about it.

*male athletes

Also the fact that this is the first thing Google has to say about Karel Sabbe