Olympic athletes are refusing to participate in their events due to a bizarre rule change that gives athletes a second chance to qualify for the finals, which forces them not to take the qualifying round seriously.
The traditional method of qualifying for the semi-finals and finals in Olympic track events was that the top two finishers in each heat automatically advanced, and the remaining spots were filled by the fastest runners who did not win their races but still ended among the fastest runners. This rule urged every athlete to give their best in the first round and put in an all-out effort before deciding to give up. However, this system is now being replaced with “repechage,” which essentially means “second-chance.”
However, the rule change has forced many athletes to withdraw from their races or intentionally run slow to give their body rests for the repechage round.
In the men’s 400m race, 26 athletes were scheduled to participate, but eight of them withdrew their names, leading to almost empty heats in the world’s biggest sporting event. In one instance, just four athletes participated, and only three of them managed to cross the finish line.
American athlete Freddie Crittenden also intentionally slowed down during his initial race because he wanted not to make “emotional” decisions and give rest to his body.
Even those athletes who are qualifying for the finals after the repechage round are criticizing the new rules.
Stewie McSweyn of Australia stated that the athletes qualifying after the second round have less time to rest and recover before stepping into the ultimate medal race.
McSweyn stated that this rule might be exciting for crowds who get to see more races, but it becomes extremely difficult for runners.
Gabija Galvydyte of Lithuania, who was among the fastest losers but did not qualify directly to the finals, also lambasted the rule change, stating that she slept at 2 am after finishing her first heat at 8:30 pm, only to wake up early in the morning and take part in the repechage race.
This rule change has also made the Olympics a bit less competitive, as the event is mostly known for its fierce competition.
