Team USA’s Freddie Crittenden was happy with his last-place finish in a series of 110-meter hurdles, with viewers on social media calling him a genius for taking advantage of a long-forgotten rule.
The 29-year-old Olympic debutant was five seconds behind the winner of Sunday’s race, fellow Australian Grant Holloway, despite arriving in Paris as the second-fastest 110m hurdler in the world this year.
He later revealed that he had suffered a “slight injury” to a “twisted muscle” in his leg during the race and that he knew a sub-par performance would ruin his chances of qualifying for the semi-finals, barring a controversial rule allowing second chances.
In hurdles, the top three competitors from the first round advance to the next round, along with the three fastest competitors.
But even players who flop get the chance to redeem themselves by participating in the ‘second chance round’, which Crittenden is keen to take advantage of.
Freddie Crittenden said he planned to finish last in the men’s 110m hurdles, round 1 on Sunday
The 29-year-old added that he was aware of the repechage rule when he took his time in the race
He now expects to recover for 48 hours to be fit again for the race on Tuesday.
After his performance on Sunday, Crittenden said of his decision to finish last: “So, it was a conscious decision. It was either finish in the top three or everyone goes to the repechage. Every athlete has a chance to compete in the repechage.
“So I decided to just not make an emotional choice, make a smart choice. Give my body time to recover a little bit from the irritation. Lean on my doctors. Lean on God. And just wait for the rematch.
‘To come outside [here] and then try to make it right again in the repechage round.’
Fans were divided over the Missouri native’s plan to qualify. One called it a “1000 IQ move” on X, while another wrote that Crittenden “should be disqualified for violating the spirit of the Games and not racing.”
Crittenden now hopes to qualify for the men’s semi-finals during the repechage round on Tuesday.
The fan who criticized Crittenden’s tactics added: “The rematch is not intended to provide additional training/recovery time. Crittenden took the opportunity of an alternate athlete to compete when he was not fit.”
According to one person, Crittenden was “shocked” by his slow work.
“American hurdler Freddie Crittenden exposes a big hole in the new repechage round, or is that perhaps the reason?” remarked one torn individual.
“Freddie Crittenden is the reason repechages shouldn’t exist. Using his heat as a warm up. Ridiculous,” shared another disgruntled fan.
“200 IQ move,” NBC’s official Olympics & Paralympics X account wrote, seemingly praising Crittenden. “Freddie Crittenden jogs through his hurdles series knowing he automatically qualifies for the repechage.”