Kiran Pahal 400m

Indian athlete Kiran Pahal finished seventh in her heat of the women’s 400m at the Paris Olympics, clocking 52.51 seconds, which was significantly below her personal best of 50.92 seconds. As a result, she did not secure an automatic semifinal spot but will compete in the repechage round for another chance to qualify. The heat was won by world champion Marileidy Paulino from Dominica with a time of 49.42 seconds. The repechage round was introduced at the Paris Olympics, allowing athletes who did not place in the top three of their heats another chance to qualify for the semifinals. This new format replaces the previous system where some athletes advanced based on their fastest times in addition to heat placements. Other Indian athletes, including Jeswin Aldrin and Priyanka Goswami, also faced elimination in their respective events at the ongoing Olympics.