Explained: Repechage rule that helped Sakshi Malik win bronze in wrestling

Sakshi Malik scripted history on Wednesday by becoming the first woman wrestler from India to bag an Olympic medal and only fourth female athlete from the country to climb to the podium at the biggest sporting event in the world with a bronze medal finish at the Rio Games.

The 23-year-old from Haryana, a silver medallist at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and bronze winner at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, earned a dramatic come-from-behind win over Kyrgysztan's Aisuluu Tynybekova to script history. 

It was the Repechage system rule of wrestling that helped Sakshi clinch the medal. Yogeshwar Dutt too won the bronze medal in London 2012 after crashing out in the knockout round.

According to Repechage rule, wrestlers who crash out in the Round of 16 by the gold and silver medallists, participate in the repechage round for a bronze. There are two bronze medals, one each for the best rival of the two finalists. There are two bouts before which the winner is decided. 

Sakshi had lost her quarterfinal bout but got a fresh lease of life when her Russian conqueror reached the final, allowing the Indian to compete in the repechage round.

With inputs from agency.