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 begin the season, and plans to proceed.
After successful the 400m hurdles occasion on the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix over the weekend in 46.64 seconds, Benjamin advised Citius Magazine in a post-race interview that he thought-about using 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 too good to put on a bib, so I’m persevering with my no-bib marketing campaign right here right this moment,” stated Benjamin.
Benjamin 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 related beliefs: “When an athlete is making an attempt to concentrate on acting at their greatest, the bibs are a distraction. The quickest, most effective athletes on the earth 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 most important functions are live-tracking and figuring out runners, in addition they generate important race-day income by means of sponsorships.
Per World Athletics competitors guidelines, all athletes competing at a World Athletics sanctioned meet are required to put on a race bib. In keeping with 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 will not be lower, folded or obscured in any approach. If any side of Rule 5 of the technical guidelines isn’t adopted, a disqualification might observe.”
Benjamin’s first two races of the season have been at low-key occasions; it is going to be fascinating to see if race officers will observe 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 without doubt one of the favourites to medal within the 400m hurdles occasion in Paris. He has medalled on the final 4 main championships within the occasion, courting again to the 2019 World Championships in Doha.
