Tharushi finishes 8th - has another chance with repechage round tomorrow

Tharushi Karunaratne of Sri Lanka placed 8th in the preliminary round of the women’s 800m running event at the 2024 Paris Olympics on August 2, with a time of 2:07:76 seconds.

Despite this result, Karunaratne will have another opportunity to advance as she competes in the repechage round scheduled for August 3.

The repechage round, a new feature in Olympic track events, provides competitors who did not qualify directly from the preliminary heats a second chance to progress. The term "repechage" is derived from the French word "repecher," meaning "to rescue." This format replaces the previous "lucky loser" system, allowing athletes to re-enter the competition based on their performances in the repechage rounds.

Under the updated format, the sequence of races includes qualifying heats, repechage, semifinals, and finals. This new approach ensures that athletes who advance through the repechage round will have competed in a minimum of two races, potentially offering them a competitive advantage by participating in additional rounds.