Freddie Crittenden of Team USA expressed satisfaction with finishing last in a 110m hurdles heat, as he was praised as a genius for leveraging a little-known rule by viewers on social media.
The 29-year-old, competing in his first Olympics, finished five seconds behind the race winner—fellow American Grant Holloway—even though he arrived in Paris as the second-fastest 110m hurdler in the world this year.
He later disclosed that he was ‘slightly injured,’ dealing with an ‘aggravated muscle’ in his leg during the race, which he anticipated would hinder his chances of reaching the semi-finals, aside from a controversial rule that offers another chance.
In the hurdles event, the top three finishers from a first-round race progress, along with the next three fastest contestants.
However, those who perform poorly have the opportunity to redeem themselves by competing in the ‘repechage round,’ which Crittenden plans to use to his advantage.
Freddie Crittenden stated that he intended to finish last in the men’s 110m hurdles Round 1 on Sunday.
Crittenden indicated that he was aware of the repechage rule while pacing himself in the race.
He is now looking at a 48-hour recovery period to prepare for his race on Tuesday.
After his Sunday performance, Crittenden explained his decision to finish last: ‘So, it was a deliberate choice. My options were to either finish in the top three or have everyone advance to the repechage. Every athlete has the opportunity to race in repechage.’
‘I decided to make a calculated choice, giving my body some time to recover a bit due to aggravation. I’m relying on my medical team and my faith in God, and then I’ll focus on the repechage round.’
‘I plan to come out and perform well in the repechage round.’
Fans had mixed reactions to the Missouri native’s strategy; one person referred to it as a ‘1000 IQ move’ on X, while another criticized that Crittenden ‘should be disqualified for violating the spirit of the Games by not competing seriously.’
Crittenden is now aiming to qualify for the men’s semifinals in the repechage round on Tuesday.
Critics of Crittenden’s strategy argued: ‘The repechage is not intended to provide additional training or recovery opportunities. He has taken away the chance for another athlete to compete if he were unfit.’
One observer remarked that Crittenden’s slow pace left them ‘shook.’
‘USA hurdler Freddie Crittenden revealing a significant loophole in the new repechage round, or perhaps that’s the very purpose of it?’ another undecided spectator noted.
‘Freddie Crittenden epitomizes the reasons repechage should not exist. Treating his heat as a warm-up is absurd,’ a frustrated fan expressed.
‘200 IQ move,’ commented NBC’s official account for the Olympics & Paralympics on X, seemingly approving Crittenden’s decision. ‘Freddie Crittenden jogs through his hurdle heat knowing he will automatically qualify for the repechage round.’
