Certain Olympic events (such as judo and boxing IIRC) have awarded two bronzes in every category. Why? What scoring rules allow two bronzes?
In those sports the two losers in the semi-final rouds are awarded bronze medals trather then requiring them to compete again in a bronze medal bout. I am not absolutely certain why, but these are very physical and violent sports and it is probaby just considered prudent not to have them compete again, especially in order to deny one of them a medal.
In judo, competitors are divided into two pools. Members of each pool fight single elimination until one person is left in each pool.
Then everyone who lost to the winner of his/her pool goes into what is called a repechage. They fight single elimination until one is left in each repechage.
Winner of pool A then fights the winner of repechage B and vice versa. The winners of each match fight for the gold and silver medals. The losers of the fight between pool winner and repechage winner get bronze medals. Why they don’t fight each other for the bronze I don’t know.
It is possible to lose a match and still win the gold if you get lucky.