In rowing, you are given a scond chance. This second chance race is called a rep. Most Heats will only take the top boat sometimes the top two. The reps allow boats a chance to compete for a spot in the semis.
It means last fish in French, and is a means whereby losers to a semi finalist in a knockout competition format has a chance to play for a Bronze medal.

Actually it is repechage, and it means "fish again"

In boxing, if one of the semi-final losers is knocked out, he can't box

again for a certain time period as a safety precaution, and it

wouldn't be fair to take away his chance at a bronzemedal just

because his semi-final opponent was so much better than the others,in all other

cases the losing semifinalists both get a bronze in Olympics and other games because ,

there are no qualifying events before the main events .