The preliminary race to qualify for the next round is called.........

The preliminary race to qualify for the next round is called a "heat." In many sports competitions, particularly in track and field events, there are often many athletes competing for a limited number of spots in the next round of competition. To ensure that the most qualified athletes move on, the competition will often begin with preliminary races or heats. In these races, athletes compete against each other, with the top performers advancing to the next round. The heat is an important part of the competition because it helps to narrow down the field of competitors and ensures that only the best athletes move on to the later stages of the competition.