EXPLAINED: What is Repechage and how does it work?
Repechage is an opportunity for the losers in the preliminary rounds as it allows them to stay in the medal race and gives them a second chance. In 2022, World Athletics decided that the track events at the Paris Olympics 2024 will have the Repechage round for 200m to 1500m, and that includes the hurdles as well. It is another chance for the athletes to make it to the podium during the Olympics.
The reason why it is part of the Olympics is that sometimes an athlete faces strong opposition in the preliminary round and hence, they are unable to make the best use of the training. This allows them to have an opportunity for equal competition.
At the Paris Olympics 2024, Athletics, Rowing, Wrestling, Judo, and Taekwondo will have the round of Repechage. Other sports like Rugby 7s have used it in the qualifying round for the Paris Olympics 2024.
Balraj Panwar, India's only participant in rowing at the Olympics, has advanced to the repechage round after finishing fourth in the preliminary rounds of the Men's singles scull competition. It will be interesting to see how Panwar bounces back through the round and makes it to the medal round in the Olympics.
How are Repechage rounds held in different sports?
It is different for different sports. In athletics, there is a preliminary round, a semi-final round, and a final round. The top 3 athletes advance to the final round automatically. There are a few slots reserved for the fastest athletes who fail to finish the top three slots. The athlete who fails to qualify in the prelims goes to the repechage round and gets another opportunity to reach the semi-finals.
This rule works similarly in Wrestling, Judo, and Taekwondo. The athletes who lose the race to the finals continue to remain in the competition, hoping to win a bronze medal. If a wrestler has defeated three other wrestlers to reach the final round, then the two wrestlers who have finished next to him will enter the repechage round. The winner of that competition will come face-to-face for the bronze medal against the third wrestler who was defeated by the finalists.
In rowing, where India's Balraj Panwar still has his hopes, the round is quite similar to the track events. The top two finishers from the round will reach the quarterfinals as well.