repechage

American  

[rep-uh-shahzh] / ˌrɛp əˈʃɑʒ /

noun

• repechages
  plural

1. (in cycling and rowing) a last-chance qualifying heat in which the runners-up in earlier heats race each other, with the winner advancing to the finals.

---

repechage British  

/ ˌrɛpɪˈʃɑːʒ /

noun

1. a heat of a competition, esp in rowing or fencing, in which eliminated contestants have another chance to qualify for the next round or the final

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• repechages
  plural

Etymology

Origin of repechage

1925–30; < French repêchage second chance, equivalent to repêch ( er ) to fish up again ( re- re- + pêcher to fish; Middle French, Old French pescher < Vulgar Latin *piscāre, Latin piscārī, derivative of piscis fish ) + -age -age

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

repechage repechages

Coutya was one of two British athletes in action in the men's foil category B, with Oliver Lam Watson narrowly losing his third-round repechage contest against Hungary’s Richard Osvath 14-15.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2024

Elsewhere, in unusual scenes, the second heat of the men's 110m hurdles repechage needed four attempts to get under way before Brazil's Rafael Pereira ran out a comfortable winner.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2024

George Mills missed out in his heat, but could still progress through the newly introduced repechage.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2024

Later in the competition, strong amateur surfers increasingly began knocking out top world surfers as they carved and slashed their way into the next round, forcing numerous professional athletes into a repechage.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 3, 2024

That evening the boys went down to the water in Griinau to watch the repechage boats and learn who would join them, Hungary, and Switzerland in the medal race.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Competitors take part in heats and repechages before going on to contest the finals.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2021

Jones' Games might not be over just yet, however, as she could be given the chance to fight for the bronze medal in the repechages later on Sunday.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2021

He finished fourth in his heat of the men's single sculls race on Friday, and was due to race in the repechages on Saturday, but was withdrawn from the Games.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2021

Rowing: There are four events on the Paralympic rowing programme, raced over 1,000m, with competitors taking part in heats and repechages before going on to contest the finals.

From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2016

Friend and Divers now have to contest the repechages to stay alive in the event.

From Time Magazine Archive