Shaun Maswanganyi feeling the pressure of back-to-back races at the Olympics

The American-based sprinter finished third in the men’s 200m heat with a time of 20.20 seconds, expressing a relief at having avoided the repechage race ahead of the semifinals on Wednesday.

He’s looking forward to a well-deserved break after competing in the 100m semi-finals on Sunday.

"I definitely hit that curve a lot harder than I intended and I didn't execute to the best of my abilities coming out the turn but there's a lot to work on. That's always a confidence booster when I know that, okay I made a few mistakes in my race that I can tweak," Maswanganyi said.

"I have a duty to give my body some recovery time because just going three days in a row is very demanding on the body but this is gonna come in handy without having to run a repechage. I feel a bit tired but it comes with putting in the work, I just wanna make sure I get enough rest, I recover, eat well and sleep."

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Maswanganyi chose to hold back his efforts, saving some energy for the semifinal and potentially for the final.

Taking Tuesday to rest is important to him, as he plans to sleep and recharge.

"It makes a huge difference, especially having come from the 100m, I didn't wanna go too hard in these kinds of races because the final is where it matters most, obviously when I make the final I still have to find that sweet spot and find that balance." 

After competing in the 100m and 200m events, Maswanganyi will also participate in the relay.

He has great respect for the athletes who take on double or triple events, just like he does, during the Olympic Games.