India’s sole contender in rowing at the Paris Olympics 2024, Balraj Panwar continued to shine on Day 2 of the Games after finishing second in the repechage round. Balraj on Day 1 however missed a direct quarterfinals qualification after he finished fourth in the Heat 1 of the Men’s Singles Sculls event.
Panwar finished behind Thomas Mackintosh of New Zealand, Stefanos Ntouskos of Greece and Abdelkhalek of Egypt despite holding the third spot for majority of the event. His fourth-place finish helped him qualify into the repechage round. On Sunday, July 28, Balraj continued his medal hopes, bettering his performance from last day as he finished second after Mongolia’s Quentin Antognelli.
The Indian army personnel finished second with a timing of 7:12.41, just behind the Mongolian, who secured the first place clocking 7:10.00. He will next be seen in the quarterfinals on July 30th.
How does repechage round works in rowing at Paris Olympics 2024?
A repechage round includes rowers who failed to finish in the top three in their respective heats in the event. After Balraj Panwar finished at fourth place, he entered the repechage round. In the repechage round, rowers are given a second chance to enter the quarterfinals and stay in contention for the medal. The top two finishers from the repechage round progress into the quarterfinals, where they are joined by the other members who have earned direct qualification.
This new repechage format will replace the former system, when athletes would advance through fastest times, sometimes known as ‘lucky losers’ in addition to the top placings in the heats.