ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis-born hurdler in the Paris Olympics is going for the "do-over," buying himself time to recuperate from an aggravated muscle.
Freddie Crittenden lightly jogged the 110-meter hurdle race Sunday morning, finishing in 18.27 seconds. His time was the slowest of the 39 competitors who finished the race.
Crittenden told Rene Knott he did it on purpose. Crittenden is taking advantage of the "repechage" round. Crittenden says he has an aggravation in his abductor.
"It was an intentional choice," Crittenden said in an interview with the NBC Olympics team. "It was either get top 3 or everyone gets through to the repechage. Every athlete has a chance to race in repechage. I decided to not make an emotional choice, make a smart choice. Give my body time to recover a little bit from being aggravated, lean on my medical doctors, lean on God. Just wait for repechage, come out here and kill it in the repechage round."
Based on the French word meaning, second chance, a repechage round is a mulligan—a do-over.
It's a round offered to all hurdlers and runners in the 200—to 1,500-meter races. If they don't qualify in their opening heat, they will get another start.
It's a new process for the Paris Olympics. Hurdlers and runners in those races qualify for the semifinals in heats. There are five heats, and the top three runners in each heat advance to the semifinals. The next three fastest athletes also advance. The rest of the athletes can try again in the repechage.
On Tuesday, Crittenden's strategy worked. He finished first in his repechage heat and advanced into Wednesday's semi-finals.
Medical director of the U.S. Center for Sports Medicine, Dr. Rick Lehman, sat down with 5 On Your Side's Annie Krall in Clayton only hours after getting back from Paris on Sunday.
"He has an abductor strain," Dr. Lehman said. "That is the inside part of your thigh which in a hurdler is a big deal. You got to jump over 10 of these things. You need your abductor to do that."
It's the orthopedic surgeon's seventh Olympics treating athletes like Crittenden who now has some time to rest.
"It'll give the abductor a chance to calm down, get the inflammation down," Dr. Lehman said. "Hopefully he gets a chance to get some medical."
Running again Tuesday in the new repechage round where the winner gets a second chance to advance to the final.
"I'm going all out," Crittenden told NBC Sports. "All out. Everything I've got repechage round."
The St. Louis native had a special message from Paris for his fans in his hometown.
"I love you guys," Crittenden said with Knott. "I'm sorry I probably had all you guys scared. I'm trying to give myself the best opportunities to succeed. I love y'all. Keep supporting me, keep showing me love and I'll see you guys soon."
Krall spoke with Freddie's family who said they're still heading to Paris this week.
Crittenden's parents, Freddie Crittenden Sr. and Cassandra Crittenden, were already in France as of Monday.
Still expecting to see Freddie race in the final after he hopefully wins this new saving grace and his "second chance race."
When is the 110m hurdles repechage round?
Freddie Crittenden is in the repechage round early Tuesday morning at 3:50 a.m. CT.
Crittenden attended McCluer North High School in St. Louis before his family moved to Michigan.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.