Some interesting news about the 2028 Summer Olympic Games reveals that the repêchage rounds are returning. Coach Bobbee Kersee sounds off about the impossibility of having the 400 metre and 400 metre hurdles double as they are too close together. The Los Angeles organizing committee releases the full athletics schedule.

Repêchage

The sport of athletics and its many events is the most watched and followed portion of the Summer Olympic Program. Therefore, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games will add two days of athletics, for a total of 13.

The LA28 Games, as they are dubbed, will see the return of the repêchage rounds.

While repêchage has been around since at least the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games in the sport of rowing, it is a newer feature for athletics. In 2022, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe announced its inclusion for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Repêchage (repechage) is French and can mean different things in English, including “second chance,” “repreive,” a literal translation means “to fish out.”

The purpose of the repechage round is to provide athletes (or teams, ie, rowing) who miss qualifying during the heats a second chance to advance to the next round. Repechage will be limited to the 200m and 400m sprints as well as the 800m and 1,500m middle-distance events.

While it gives competitors one more chance to move on, the extra race can slow their recovery between races, and few find the repechage to be of benefit. In fact, just two of more than 70 repechaged athletes moved on to the semis and neither medalled in Paris.

The 400m and 400m hurdles debacle

The Games’ athletics schedule makes it nearly impossible for American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the two-time Olympic 400m hurdles champion and reigning world champion in the 400m, to attempt the double.

The schedule also reduces any chance of McLaughlin-Levrone’s other potential goal, which is the 400 hurdles and 200 double.

“The world’s loss,” said Coach Bobby Kersee.

That is a bit rich. Few people outside of the sport of athletics know who she is.

“The Olympic finals will feature in 17 of the 20 sessions, with the schedule carefully crafted to allow the maximum number of potential doubles – such as the 100m – 200m, 200m – 400m (plus relays), 800m – 1500m, 1500m – 5000m, 5000m – 10,000m, and long jump – triple jump,” World Athletics said in a statement Wednesday.

“This opens the door for stars such as Noah Lyles, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden to emulate the heroics of LA 1984 Olympic legend Carl Lewis, while also enabling middle- and long-distance doubles reminiscent of past Olympic greats.”

Kersee told the Orange County Register, “She could do it. She’s proven she’s capable. Yeah, she’s capable of doing it. So why not give her the opportunity?

“We’re a sport fighting for attention. So why do you make this decision?” Kersee continued, referring to the schedule not maximizing McLaughlin-Levrone’s exposure. “This shows the weakness of our sport. We’ve got the stars, but we don’t get any help from the top.”

Kersee coaches two particular noteworthy athletes. In addition to SML, he coaches Athing Mu. Whatever happened to Mu after she joined Kersee is a mystery. She moved to Los Angeles in November 2022. While Mu had one great race in 2023, clocking a new national record of 1:54.97 in the 800m, she hasn’t returned anywhere near that level since. Perhaps Kersee should focus on having his so-called “star” better prepared to race. While he refers to athletes as “stars,” he is known to keep SML from racing as often as other athletes. How can they maximize their exposure when not racing? It is a fair question.

Some years, nearly half of her annual racing schedule is done within the rounds of one or two national or international meets. The athlete cannot be a “star” if they are in hiding.

LA28 athletics schedule

Day 1– Saturday, July 15 | Morning Session
– Women’s 100m Preliminary
– Men’s 100m Preliminary
– Women’s 5000m Round 1
– Women’s Shot Put Qualification A & B
– Men’s Pole Vault Qualification A & B
– Women’s 800m Round 1
– Women’s Hammer Throw Qualification A & B
– Women’s 100m Round 1
– Men’s 100m Round 1

Day 1– Saturday, July 15 | Evening Session
– Men’s High Jump Qualification A & B
– Men’s 400m Hurdles Round 1
– Men’s Discus Throw Qualification A & B
– Women’s Triple Jump Qualification A & B
– Women’s 400m Round 1
– Women’s Shot Put Final
– Women’s 100m Semifinal
– Men’s 10,000m Final
– Women’s 100m Final

Day 2– Sunday, July 16 | Morning Session
– Men’s Decathlon 100m Heats
– Women’s Discus Throw Qualification A & B
– Men’s Shot Put Qualification A & B
– Men’s Decathlon Long Jump A & B
– Women’s 800m Repechage
– Mixed 4x400m Relay Round 1
– Men’s Long Jump Qualification A & B
– Men’s Decathlon Shot Put A & B
– Men’s 1500m Round 1

Day 2– Sunday, July 16 | Evening Session
– Men’s Decathlon High Jump A & B
– Men’s Shot Put Final
– Men’s 100m Semifinal
– Women’s Hammer Throw Final
– Mixed 4x400m Relay Final
– Men’s Decathlon 400m Heats
– Men’s 100m Final

Day 3– Monday, July 17 | Morning Session
– Men’s Decathlon 110m Hurdles Heats
– Women’s 3000m Steeplechase Round 1
– Men’s Decathlon Discus Throw A & B
– Men’s 400m Round 1
– Women’s Triple Jump Final
– Men’s 400m Hurdles Repechage
– Men’s Decathlon Pole Vault A & B
– Women’s 400m Repechage

Day 3– Monday, July 17 | Evening Session
– Men’s Pole Vault Final
– Men’s Decathlon Javelin Throw A & B
– Mixed 4x100m Relay Round 1
– Men’s 1500m Repechage
– Women’s 800m Semifinal
– Mixed 4x100m Relay Final
– Men’s Decathlon 1500m Final

Day 4– Tuesday, July 18 | Morning Session
– Women’s Pole Vault Qualification A & B
– Men’s 3000m Steeplechase Round 1
– Women’s 400m Hurdles Round 1
– Men’s Triple Jump Qualification A & B
– Men’s 110m Hurdles Round 1

Day 4– Tuesday, July 18 | Evening Session
– Men’s 200m Round 1
– Men’s High Jump Final
– Men’s Discus Throw Final
– Women’s 5000m Final
– Men’s 400m Hurdles Semifinal
– Men’s 1500m Semifinal
– Women’s 400m Semifinal
– Women’s 800m Final

Day 5– Wednesday, July 19 | Morning Session
– Men’s Hammer Throw Qualification A & B
– Women’s 400m Hurdles Repechage
– Men’s 400m Repechage
– Women’s Long Jump Qualification A & B
– Men’s 200m Repechage
– Women’s 3000m Steeplechase Final

Day 5– Wednesday, July 19 | Evening Session
– Men’s 110m Hurdles Repechage
– Women’s Discus Throw Final
– Women’s 1500m Round 1
– Men’s Long Jump Final
– Women’s 200m Round 1
– Men’s 1500m Final
– Men’s 400m Hurdles Final

Day 6– Thursday, July 20 | Morning Session
– Women’s Javelin Throw Qualification A & B
– Women’s High Jump Qualification A & B
– Men’s 800m Round 1
– Women’s 200m Repechage
– Men’s 3000m Steeplechase Final

Day 6– Thursday, July 20 | Evening Session
– Women’s Pole Vault Final
– Women’s 1500m Repechage
– Men’s Hammer Throw Final
– Women’s 400m Hurdles Semifinal
– Men’s 400m Semifinal
– Men’s 110m Hurdles Semifinal
– Men’s 200m Semifinal
– Women’s 400m Final

Day 7– Friday, July 21 | Morning Session
– Women’s Heptathlon 100m Hurdles Heats
– Men’s 5000m Round 1
– Women’s Heptathlon High Jump A & B
– Women’s 100m Hurdles Round 1
– Men’s Triple Jump Final
– Men’s 800m Repechage

Day 7– Friday, July 21 | Evening Session
– Women’s Heptathlon Shot Put A & B
– Men’s Javelin Throw Qualification A & B
– Women’s 1500m Semifinal
– Women’s 200m Semifinal
– Women’s Heptathlon 200m Heats
– Women’s 10,000m Final
– Men’s 110m Hurdles Final
– Men’s 200m Final

Day 8– Saturday, July 22 | Evening Session
– Women’s Heptathlon Long Jump A & B
– Women’s 100m Hurdles Repechage
– Women’s Heptathlon Javelin Throw A & B
– Men’s 800m Semifinal
– Women’s Long Jump Final
– Men’s 4x100m Relay Round 1
– Women’s 400m Hurdles Final
– Men’s 400m Final
– Women’s Heptathlon 800m Final
– Women’s 200m Final

Day 9– Sunday, July 23 | Evening Session
– Women’s 4x400m Relay Round 1
– Women’s High Jump Final
– Men’s 4x400m Relay Round 1
– Women’s Javelin Throw Final
– Women’s 4x100m Relay Round 1
– Women’s 100m Hurdles Semifinal
– Men’s 800m Final
– Women’s 1500m Final
– Men’s 4x100m Relay Final

Day 10– Monday, July 24 | Evening Session
– Men’s Javelin Throw Final
– Women’s 4x100m Relay Final
– Men’s 5000m Final
– Women’s 100m Hurdles Final
– Men’s 4x400m Relay Final
– Women’s 4x400m Relay Final

Day 11– Thursday, July 27 | Morning Session
– Men’s Half Marathon Race Walk
– Women’s Half Marathon Race Walk

Day 12– Saturday, July 29 | Morning Session
– Women’s Marathon

Day 13– Sunday, July 30 | Morning Session
– Men’s Marathon

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