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10 Most difficult sports - agree or disagree?

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SamSandmire
Posts: 289 - Karma: 4,536
http://sporteology.com/most-difficult-sports-in-the-world/
Most difficult? Gymnastics. Agree.
2nd most? Swimming. Disagree.
3rd? Skiing. Agree.
Others I agree with: Motor Cross, Figure Skating, Bull Riding.
Thoughts?

**This thread was edited on Nov 4th 2014 at 11:09:18pm
Nov 4 2014 9:39PM
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bighomieflock
Posts: 2040 - Karma: 2,445
I don't understand how a sport can be "difficult" unless you are talking about learning the sport at the most basic level. Any sport can be taken to an extreme level where only a few can perform at.
Nov 4 2014 9:50PM
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APunx176
Posts: 1189 - Karma: 2,628
bighomieflockI don't understand how a sport can be "difficult" unless you are talking about learning the sport at the most basic level. Any sport can be taken to an extreme level where only a few can perform at.


I disagree. Some sports are harder to master than others, and some sports can also be more painful than others. for example, in basketball you might sprain an ankle or get a concussion, but in skiing you could break multiple limbs and you could even die doing it.
Nov 4 2014 9:58PM
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JahLiam
Posts: 2321 - Karma: 7,828
APunx176I disagree. Some sports are harder to master than others, and some sports can also be more painful than others. for example, in basketball you might sprain an ankle or get a concussion, but in skiing you could break multiple limbs and you could even die doing it.


does the name Paul George ring a bell?
Nov 4 2014 10:08PM
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Drail
Posts: 14012 - Karma: 10,010
APunx176I disagree. Some sports are harder to master than others, and some sports can also be more painful than others. for example, in basketball you might sprain an ankle or get a concussion, but in skiing you could break multiple limbs and you could even die doing it.


You can die driving, but that doesn't make it difficult. The article sucked, it was written horribly, and there was no context. Just a shitty list with no facts. I mean - at least out golf on the list if you want it to have an ounce of credibility. Skateboarding and golf take technical precision that can be widely accepted as difficult. But that would mean this list would have to explain why a sport is hard instead of "skiing is where you put skis on your feet, and the military does it, so it's #3.
Nov 4 2014 10:08PM
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Mingg
Posts: 13963 - Karma: 48,971
The word difficult can be interpreted in a shit ton of ways. There are sports that are more physically demanding than others, and there are some more mentally demanding. There are sports where you need more strength than you do endurance and vice versa. Some sports are strategic, some are based on perfection, and some can be based on creativity( skiing) It depends on what you consider difficult. Also danger/risk does not equal difficulty.


As for the article, I can speak from experience that gymnastics requires a shit ton of everything I just mentioned. 2 hours conditioning, 4-5 hours of actually training(bars, beam,floor, vault, tramp, etc) 5-6 days a week. This is at level 9/10 which is one step(isn) below elite. I'd be willing to be that's more training than most sports at that level. You need to be flexible, strong, coordinated, and self-disciplined. Everything is based on perfection. You need to be creative and you need to have a strategy of how you organize your routines and skill difficulty. It's a very, very demanding sport. So I definitely can see it as number 1.

Some of the other ones I completely disagree with. Maybe it's because I'm ignorant about them and have never tried them. But I just can't see them being more difficult that other some other sports.
Nov 4 2014 10:24PM
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CashmereCat
Posts: 2211 - Karma: 2,394
In my opinion baseball should at least be on the list, granted lower down. Hitting a baseball is widely accepted as the hardest thing to do in sports so shouldn't it make the list?
Nov 4 2014 10:40PM
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dyyylan
Posts: 186 - Karma: 500
Terrible article, most of those sports are super easy to get into and you just need to train hard to get good.

A few things that come to mind:

Skateboarding - even very basic tricks are actually pretty complicated and take time to figure out. Once you progress beyond the basics risk of injury increases.

Kiteboarding - Costs hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars in lessons just so you can learn how to not kill yourself or get thrown 40 feet in the air into the side of a building.

Surfing - not super difficult to learn but once you try to get into real waves it can be very challenging to paddle out past all the whitewater. Depending on the location you have to have a lot of knowledge about the currents, when to pop up, when the wave might close out and murder you, etc. Also, sharks.

Skiing and snowboarding are pretty easy, but I guess it depends what you want to do with it. If you want to make it an extreme sport and do tricks or ski big mountain then it's pretty difficult/dangerous. For the majority of people it's something they do on vacation and is pretty low risk.

Gymnastics - sure

Swimming - are you kidding me? "Staying underwater and flapping one’s legs and arms is a difficult task" LOL

Motocross - I'll throw downhill mountain biking in there too - definitely agree, can be pretty dangerous. Even if you know what you're doing... especially if you know what you're doing, you're riding at high speeds downhill, if something goes wrong you're falling off the side of a mountain or into a tree trunk, possibly going over the bars

Whitewater kayaking...

...I'm sure anyone here can come up with a list of 10 sports more difficult than those in that article
Nov 4 2014 11:00PM
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gapersarefriends
Posts: 2158 - Karma: 4,270
how the hell is hockey not even on the list? and swimming is number two?

pretty sure i learned to swim in kindergarten...i feel dumber from reading that list
Nov 4 2014 11:00PM
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eheath
Posts: 61470 - Karma: 122,037
Lol no skateboarding? This list is flawed.
Nov 4 2014 11:10PM
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JGWI
Posts: 2842 - Karma: 7,812
JahLiamdoes the name Paul George ring a bell?


That made me shiver.
Nov 4 2014 11:14PM
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fredyferl
Posts: 2943 - Karma: 14,828
pussyfooterLol no skateboarding? This list is flawed.


IMO skateboarding is the hardest sport, and probably the least natural.
Nov 4 2014 11:28PM
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icon1234
Posts: 3081 - Karma: 1,475
Golf should easily be in the top 5 here.
Nov 4 2014 11:38PM
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brokenankles
Posts: 181 - Karma: 835
no skateboarding?
Nov 5 2014 12:46AM
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Laurent.
Posts: 10056 - Karma: 25,313
Figure skating only at #5?

That shit is bloody gymnastics on ice.



Nov 5 2014 12:53AM
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Rusticles
Posts: 2179 - Karma: 1,337
CashmereCatIn my opinion baseball should at least be on the list, granted lower down. Hitting a baseball is widely accepted as the hardest thing to do in sports so shouldn't it make the list?


Sorry, but can't agree, you could pick a mildly athletic person and let them swing (wildly) at 100 pitches from an MLB pitcher and he has a good chance of at least connecting with one. You take the same person and throw him on the ice during an NHL game, even on the PP with the Sedins and he's not likely to score
Nov 5 2014 3:10AM
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khabir2014
Posts: 1 - Karma: 15
Hi Guys, I am Khabir Uddin and I am new on the Forum. that articles you guys are trolling, is mine :-)
since english is not my motherhood language so there is lots of grammatical mistakes.
if anyone from this forum can write new article on this topic. i will replace it on the website asap.
thanks.
Nov 5 2014 3:24AM
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Noddard
Posts: 2652 - Karma: 3,831
I can not believe surfing is not on the list. One of the hardest things I ever tried. Also I ran cross country and granted it's hard but it is not a top 10 hardest sport, not even close. Hardest sport though for me would have to be MMA. Shit looks flat out rough.
Nov 5 2014 3:38AM
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xnickGT
Posts: 79 - Karma: 263
Bomber_BoBGolf should easily be in the top 5 here.


Agree. To get to a reasonable standard in golf (18hcp) takes hundreds of hours of practice.
Nov 5 2014 5:50AM
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Mar-O
Posts: 960 - Karma: 827
I would have put figure skating at 1, gymnastic at 2, freestyle windsurfing at 3 and skating at 4 because those are all sports that takes so much technique and practice just to learn the most basic stuff.
I would also argue that most people would probably find snowboarding a bit harder to learn than skiing.
Nov 5 2014 6:07AM
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JahLiam
Posts: 2321 - Karma: 7,828
RusticlesSorry, but can't agree, you could pick a mildly athletic person and let them swing (wildly) at 100 pitches from an MLB pitcher and he has a good chance of at least connecting with one. You take the same person and throw him on the ice during an NHL game, even on the PP with the Sedins and he's not likely to score


so with that logic, you're saying that only hitting 1/100 baseballs is the equivalent to scoring a goal? that doesn't make sense at all
Nov 5 2014 7:38AM
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Zimmy
Posts: 1258 - Karma: -1,327
If you see it as a sport - life. No one gets out of it alive.
Other than that, rock fishing is meant to be very deadly, and boxing is a just great for one's brain.
To me, climbing any 8000er peak is also very dangerous, and difficult.
Nov 5 2014 7:49AM
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Stadtski
Posts: 972 - Karma: 3,349
1, this is a repost. 2, Those are all so easy besides water polo, bullriding and cross country. motocross especially, and skiing groomers like the description entails.
Nov 5 2014 7:53AM
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Rusticles
Posts: 2179 - Karma: 1,337
JahLiamso with that logic, you're saying that only hitting 1/100 baseballs is the equivalent to scoring a goal? that doesn't make sense at all


I must apologize, this seemed to make sense last night after a few drinks. I can see now that it does not.
Nov 5 2014 10:58AM
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Jahoe_Stuyve
Posts: 415 - Karma: 2,506
khabir2014Hi Guys, I am Khabir Uddin and I am new on the Forum. that articles you guys are trolling, is mine :-)
since english is not my motherhood language so there is lots of grammatical mistakes.
if anyone from this forum can write new article on this topic. i will replace it on the website asap.
thanks.


So who's re-writing it?
Nov 5 2014 11:32AM
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firecrotch
Posts: 1471 - Karma: 5,507
dyyylanTerrible article


true

for gymnastics:

"Likewise the practices, its conditioning is really hard"

what did you just say
Nov 5 2014 12:03PM
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D-oh-Double-G
Posts: 108 - Karma: 134
I would throw Mountain Biking in this list.
Nov 5 2014 12:08PM
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lurking
Posts: 2221 - Karma: 6,786
Horse racing- #8? The fuck? You're riding an animal. The only thing you need to do is not fall off and have a relatively smart horse that knows when to jump to clear hurdles.

Bull Riding- Horribly dangerous, not even a sport. Just trying to survive at that point.

Water Polo- Only #6? You have people trying to DROWN you while you try to throw a ball in a net. Should be much higher.

Swimming- I learned how to swim when I was around 4, not that difficult.

Where the hell is rugby? You get your ass kicked and then get up and go get up and kick another person's ass.

This list is bullshit, and uses horrible english.
Nov 5 2014 12:19PM
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smooter
Posts: 1121 - Karma: 1,368
hockey should be on there.. one of the most difficult sports to just pick up
Nov 5 2014 12:28PM
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HuckNorris44
Posts: 1025 - Karma: 2,392
RusticlesSorry, but can't agree, you could pick a mildly athletic person and let them swing (wildly) at 100 pitches from an MLB pitcher and he has a good chance of at least connecting with one. You take the same person and throw him on the ice during an NHL game, even on the PP with the Sedins and he's not likely to score


Baseball is a sport where you can be successful 3 out of every 10 times and still be considered very good. Speaks to the difficulty of the sport. To put it in context, think if Lebron James only made 3 out of every 10 shots. (probably wouldnt have gotten past high school). Or, what if a skier only landed 3 out of every 10 tricks, or a goalie only stopped 3 out of every 10 shots.
Nov 5 2014 1:16PM
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haggis_hunter
Posts: 399 - Karma: 207
Formula 1 has to be up there, I have a few chums who work in the industry and the loads the drivers go through during a race is insanity. Couple that with the most complex car on the planet to drive.

Also as a former rower that is a far more complex and demanding than most of the stuff on that list, it took us years of training to get some of it dialled to a pretty decent level.
Nov 5 2014 1:56PM
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elcoach
Posts: 1104 - Karma: 2,681
pussyfooterLol no skateboarding? This list is flawed.


absolutly correct skateboarding is the hardest sport ever, considering the risk you take on every spot, also fighting with pure concrete is not fun at all.
you can see one of the most insane crashes on the hall of meat at thrashermag website.

also NO ONE I REPEAT NO ONE, in skateboarding use any kind of protection, that make the sport even more dangerous and putting traffic passing on the streets in mostly every segment or part, also the size on stairs , handrails and all that is almost unreal.

for big as parts , that people in the us dont look , but its at the level of crazy us skateboarders go and watch jart skateboards am project!
Nov 5 2014 2:42PM
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saskskier
Posts: 4774 - Karma: 10,005
loganschnurWhere the hell is rugby? You get your ass kicked and then get up and go get up and kick another person's ass.


This is a terrible list, but I looked up a few other lists and everyone seems to think football is more difficult than rugby. BS.

Take football. Remove the pads, take away the 10 second plays, add some size to the field and the endurance of a soccer player and you have rugby.

AlldaygreeNabsolutly correct skateboarding is the hardest sport ever, considering the risk you take on every spot, also fighting with pure concrete is not fun at all.
you can see one of the most insane crashes on the hall of meat at thrashermag website.

also NO ONE I REPEAT NO ONE, in skateboarding use any kind of protection


No one?


I would argue that bmx is gnarlier than skateboarding. I'm not saying skateboarding isn't super hard, but bmxers play the same game as skateboarders when it comes to concrete/rails/traffic/etc , but often go bigger and faster with the added element all kinds of stabby metal tubes.
Nov 5 2014 3:37PM
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JAHpow
Posts: 7282 - Karma: 17,175
What level is the article even basing the difficulty on? Olympics? High school?

But lol at you swimming haters.

Swimming was one if the most difficult aerobic sports. I'm absolutely certain none of you could do a 400IM or 200 Fly in your current condition especially at a competitive level. Also I'm pretty sure you would all drown doing a 1650.
Nov 5 2014 4:00PM
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Miomo
Posts: 4302 - Karma: 14,133
bighomieflockI don't understand how a sport can be "difficult" unless you are talking about learning the sport at the most basic level. Any sport can be taken to an extreme level where only a few can perform at.


If you think about it, this actually makes sense. What defines pro level is the pros. If they practice more, then pro level gets harder. If everyone put in 6 hours of practice a week in every sport, then that's what pro level is. Then they're all the same difficulty.
Nov 5 2014 4:36PM
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haggis_hunter
Posts: 399 - Karma: 207
loganschnurWhere the hell is rugby? You get your ass kicked and then get up and go get up and kick another person's ass.


Not to mention the fact its usually played on frozen pitches unlike football. My brother came away with some impressive scars and injuries inflicted on others .
Nov 5 2014 4:43PM
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Mingg
Posts: 13963 - Karma: 48,971
Lordf*Not to mention the fact its usually played on frozen pitches unlike football. My brother came away with some impressive scars and injuries inflicted on others .


Also you're getting hit as hard as you would be in football without any protection. Being 130 and getting nailed by girls who are 200+ is pretty intense.

Play doesn't stop either. When you get tackled, there's a ruck above you which usually involves a lot of face kicking and trampling. Metal cleats are legal too not to mention. You can pretty much do whatever you want to get the ball from the other team like stripping it out of their hands. I've been elbowed in the face so many times from stripping and being stripped.

It's really confusing to learn if you hadn't grow up with it. Most people could understand what's going on in soccer, basketball, football etc even if they've never played. Rugby has a lot of things most people(at least in America) have no idea are. Ex. Rucks, mauls, scrums etc.

Rugby is also one of few sports with the exact same rules and field dimensions between guys and girls unlike lacrosse, baseball/softball, soccer etc.
Nov 5 2014 4:52PM
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gengar.
Posts: 1042 - Karma: 1,641
loganschnurHorse racing- #8? The fuck? You're riding an animal. The only thing you need to do is not fall off and have a relatively smart horse that knows when to jump to clear hurdles.


Horse riding is an exception. Ive been riding for 16 years and its honestly the hardest thing I've ever done, harder than skiing for sure. It take actual strength and thinking, not just riding the horse around while it does all the work like everyone thinks. It has nothing to do with the intelligence of the horse.

you have to tell the horse when to move, how to move, and occasionally play tug of war with a 1200 pound animal with a mind of its own. you need to tell it when to jump, when to step, how to hold its head, the pace you want, and all of these other things which take strength and a ton of it.

also its dangerous as fuck.

just thought id jump in and defend that one
Nov 5 2014 5:03PM
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hail.vivid
Posts: 51 - Karma: 83
The difficulty of a sport is so incredibly subjective i don't think it can be put into a list at all. especially because a lot of the times we judge the difficulty of something before we even try it. Being at the pro level for just about any sport is difficult.
Nov 5 2014 5:22PM
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Mingg
Posts: 13963 - Karma: 48,971
hail.vividThe difficulty of a sport is so incredibly subjective i don't think it can be put into a list at all. especially because a lot of the times we judge the difficulty of something before we even try it. Being at the pro level for just about any sport is difficult.


There's a chart online somewhere with a shit ton of sports and their rating based on a bunch of things like strength, endurance, flexibility, speed, agility etc. That's probably the best kind of classification you're going to get regarding this. I'll try to find it when I get home.
Nov 5 2014 5:24PM
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Mingg
Posts: 13963 - Karma: 48,971
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/sportSkills

Sorry for dub post. That was way easier to find than I thought it was going to be haha.
Nov 5 2014 5:26PM
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elcoach
Posts: 1104 - Karma: 2,681
saskskierThis is a terrible list, but I looked up a few other lists and everyone seems to think football is more difficult than rugby. BS.

Take football. Remove the pads, take away the 10 second plays, add some size to the field and the endurance of a soccer player and you have rugby.



No one?


I would argue that bmx is gnarlier than skateboarding. I'm not saying skateboarding isn't super hard, but bmxers play the same game as skateboarders when it comes to concrete/rails/traffic/etc , but often go bigger and faster with the added element all kinds of stabby metal tubes.


I forgot to say street skating , that also include street section in the xgames.

No even a single skater use a helmet or other protection stuff
Nov 5 2014 5:32PM
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cbgski
Posts: 90 - Karma: 652
bighomieflockI don't understand how a sport can be "difficult" unless you are talking about learning the sport at the most basic level. Any sport can be taken to an extreme level where only a few can perform at.


I also disagree with this, for example understanding the concept of the 100 m sprint is much easier than understanding the concept of newschooler skiing
Nov 5 2014 5:38PM
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HairyCox
Posts: 86 - Karma: 394
Australian Football
Nov 5 2014 5:39PM
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YoUnGinAYo
Posts: 307 - Karma: 226
This article is a bunch of crap
Nov 5 2014 5:59PM
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brend
Posts: 779 - Karma: 3,608
Golf is the hardest sport to get really good at. Skateboarding is really hard to.
Nov 5 2014 6:44PM
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Blingbrotha2
Posts: 20 - Karma: 103
absolute lol at skiing being on this list
Nov 5 2014 7:04PM
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B.Quincy
Posts: 1074 - Karma: 963
Have to bring up sailing. Extreme in offshore and even dingy racing, also requires a great amount of knowledge, practice, skill and experience to do at any level competively
Nov 5 2014 7:05PM
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APunx176
Posts: 1189 - Karma: 2,628
JahLiamdoes the name Paul George ring a bell?


Ok, I guess on occasion it happens, but I'd be willing to bet that the percentage of people that die while skiing is much higher than the percentage of people that die playing basketball
Nov 5 2014 7:15PM
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yungsteeze
Posts: 673 - Karma: 1,969
boxing is the hardest sport
Nov 5 2014 7:24PM
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lurking
Posts: 2221 - Karma: 6,786
Mingghttp://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/sportSkills

Sorry for dub post. That was way easier to find than I thought it was going to be haha.


That chart is still bullshit.

Football's endurance is a 5.38? They play for 10 seconds at a time.

Rugby's nerve is only a 6.5 while football is a 7.25? Take the pads off of any football player and lets see what happens.

Football has a speed 7.13? They barely run 10 seconds.

People underestimate the sports that aren't from America.
Nov 5 2014 8:07PM
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