Have you been watching track & field during the 2024 Paris Olympics? If you have, and don't understand the abbreviations the broadcast uses in their results, this is the guide for you.
As track and field events continue, people are curious about the flurry of abbreviations the broadcast uses to inform viewers.
Here are some of the most common abbreviations used in track & field:
- "SB": Season's Best
- "PB": Personal Best
- "OR": Olympic Record
- "WR": World Record
"NR": National Record - "DQ": Disqualified
- "DNF": Did Not Finish
- "DNS": Did Not Start
The most commonly misunderstood abbreviations include "SB," "PB," and "NR." But most of them are to acknowledge the times and marks set by the track & field athletes competing in the Olympics.
For example, American middle distance runner Cole Hocker set an Olympic record (OR) in the men's 1500-meter final by running a blistering 3:27.65. In the same race, the Netherlands' Niels Laros and Italy's Pietro Arese set national records (NR) for their respective countries. American Yared Nuguse also set a personal best (PB), running 3:29.45.
Grant Fisher, one of the United States' most elite distance runners, set a season-best (SB) on Friday in the 10,000-meter run, finishing with a 26:43.46. His previous "SB" came from the U.S. Olympic trials in June, when he ran 27:49.47.
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