An American hurdler is creating buzz within the observe and discipline world in an unconventional approach by boycotting race bibs for the 2024 observe and discipline season. The Olympic silver medallist within the 400m hurdles, Rai Benjamin, has not worn a bib in both of his races to start out the season, and plans to proceed.
After profitable the 400m hurdles occasion on the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix over the weekend in 46.64 seconds, Benjamin instructed Citius Magazine in a post-race interview that he thought-about the usage of bibs a waste of cash and felt they ruined the looks of the uniform. “I’m not sporting that factor. It’s a waste of cash and the uniform appears to be like too good to put on a bib, so I’m persevering with my no-bib marketing campaign right here right now,” stated Benjamin.
Benjamin just isn’t the one skilled athlete to talk out towards sporting race bibs. Former U.S. Olympic champion Michael Johnson was quoted by The New York Occasions in 2023 as having comparable beliefs: “When an athlete is making an attempt to deal with acting at their greatest, the bibs are a distraction. The quickest, best athletes on the planet compete with a bit of paper safety-pinned on. It simply reeks of amateurism.”
Race bibs are a compulsory staple of each runner’s race-day apparel. Whereas their fundamental functions are live-tracking and figuring out runners, additionally they generate vital race-day income via sponsorships.
Per World Athletics competitors guidelines, all athletes competing at a World Athletics sanctioned meet are required to put on a race bib. Based on technical competitors guidelines 5.8-9, “no athlete shall be allowed to participate in any competitors with out displaying the suitable bib(s) and/or identification. These bibs should be worn as issued and is probably not minimize, folded or obscured in any approach. If any side of Rule 5 of the technical guidelines just isn’t adopted, a disqualification could comply with.”
Benjamin’s first two races of the season have been at low-key occasions; it is going to be attention-grabbing to see if race officers will comply with the World Athletics rulebook and disqualify him at future occasions just like the U.S. Olympic Trials in late June and the Olympic Video games in August if he doesn’t comply.
The 26-year-old is among the favourites to medal within the 400m hurdles occasion in Paris. He has medalled on the final 4 main championships within the occasion, relationship again to the 2019 World Championships in Doha.
