An American hurdler is developing buzz within the monitor and box global in an unconventional method by way of boycotting race bibs for the 2024 monitor and box season. The Olympic silver medallist within the 400m hurdles, Rai Benjamin, has no longer worn a bib in both of his races to begin the season, and plans to proceed.
After profitable the 400m hurdles match 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 to be the usage of bibs a waste of cash and felt they ruined the illusion of the uniform. “I’m no longer dressed in that factor. It’s a waste of cash and the uniform seems to be too just right to put on a bib, so I’m proceeding my no-bib marketing campaign right here these days,” mentioned Benjamin.
Benjamin isn’t the one skilled athlete to talk out towards dressed in race bibs. Former U.S. Olympic champion Michael Johnson was once quoted by way of The New York Instances in 2023 as having identical ideals: “When an athlete is attempting to concentrate on functioning at their easiest, the bibs are a distraction. The quickest, most productive athletes on this planet compete with a work of paper safety-pinned on. It simply reeks of amateurism.”
Race bibs are a compulsory staple of each and every runner’s race-day apparel. Whilst their primary functions are live-tracking and figuring out runners, in addition they generate vital race-day earnings thru sponsorships.
Consistent with International Athletics pageant laws, all athletes competing at a International Athletics sanctioned meet are required to put on a race bib. In line with technical pageant laws 5.8-9, “no athlete will be allowed to participate in any pageant with out exhibiting the suitable bib(s) and/or id. Those bibs should be worn as issued and might not be minimize, folded or obscured by any means. If any facet of Rule 5 of the technical laws isn’t adopted, a disqualification would possibly practice.”
Benjamin’s first two races of the season had been at low-key occasions; it’ll be fascinating to look if race officers will practice the International Athletics rulebook and disqualify him at long run occasions just like the U.S. Olympic Trials in overdue June and the Olympic Video games in August if he does no longer comply.
The 26-year-old is likely one of the favourites to medal within the 400m hurdles match in Paris. He has medalled on the remaining 4 main championships within the match, courting again to the 2019 International Championships in Doha.