What's new at Paris 2024? The inclusion of repechage rounds in athletics
At Paris 2024, a repechage round will be introduced for all individual track events from 200m to 1500m (including hurdles): Find out everything you need to know about the new format below.
Heats, semifinals, a final... and at Paris 2024 a repechage round as well. This is the new format that has been introduced in athletics for all individual track events from 200m to 1500m, including hurdles events.
It is an innovation that will make its debut at the next Olympic Games and that will change the qualification system for semifinals.
The new format covers a total of six different distances in both men's and women's races, which will include four rounds instead of the usual three.
Find out below how the format of athletics competitions will change and how the repechage system will work.
Repechage in athletics at Paris 2024: How does it work?
Until Tokyo 2020, qualification to the semifinals in sprint track events depended on the times recorded during the heats.
The top three finishers in each heat qualified for the next round, and to complete the list of semifinalists, the athletes with the best time among those who did not qualify also advanced.
The new repechage round replaces this, giving a second chance to all participants in the events where the format is in place: Every athlete who runs at Paris 2024 in the individual track events from 200m to 1500m will take part in at least two rounds.
Those who do not qualify for the semifinals at the first attempt in these events will therefore have one more chance in the repechage round that will determine the final list of qualified athletes.
In which track events will be introduced the new repechage round in Paris 2024?
Below is the list of track events at Paris 2024 with a repechage round included after the heats.
- 200m (M,W)
- 400m (M,W)
- 800m (M,W)
- 1500m (M,W)
- 100mH (W)
- 110mH (M)
- 400mH (M,W)
There will be no repechage round in the 100m, as the event already has preliminary heats, before round one. In total, there are already four rounds scheduled in this event.
A repechage round will not be introduced in long distance events either, as the need for proper recovery between rounds makes the format impractical.
Athletics in Paris 2024: full schedule of repechage rounds
This is the schedule of repechage rounds in the athletics competitions at Paris 2024.
Saturday 3 August
- Morning session: Women's 800m repechage
- Evening session: Men's 1500m repechage
Monday 5 August
- Morning session: Women's 200m repechage
- Morning session: Women's 400m hurdles repechage
- Morning session: Men's 400m repechage
Tuesday 6 August
- Morning session: Women's 400m repechage
- Morning session: Men's 110m hurdles repechage
- Morning session: Men's 400m hurdles repechage
- Morning session: Men's 200m repechage
Wednesday 7 August
- Morning session: Women's 1500m repechage
Thursday 8 August
- Morning session: Women's 100m hurdles repechage
- Morning session: Men's 800m repechage
The competition schedule is subject to change until the conclusion of the Game
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