In many sports, a competition number is used to identify and differentiate the competitors taking part in a competitive endeavour. For example, runners in a race may wear a prominent competition number so that they may be clearly identified from a distance. Competition numbers are differentiated from uniform numbers in that the former are used for a specific event while the latter persist over time through multiple events, seasons, or sometimes an entire career. Competition numbers may also be called a bib number when worn on a bib over, or affixed to, the athlete's top. With new technology, bibs might contain timing chips for electronic identification. In addition to identifying an athlete, many high profile events also imprint sponsor logos. In such high profile events, bib numbers are mandatory. Failure to wear them could make an athlete subject to disqualification.
Athletics
Since the 2000s, track and field athletes at major competitions wear their names as well as their numbers on their bibs. In relay events, all team members have the IOC country code. Track athletes also wear a lane number on the shorts called a hip number, for identification by the fully automatic timing system which photographs athletes from the side as they cross a finish line. In racewalking events, competitors also must wear a number on their back for identification by the judges after a violation has been detected. In mixed competitions like marathons, where professional athletesrun on the same course as non-elite athletes, the professionals traditionally wear a bib with their names to differentiate their pre-race status, but that does not guarantee success at the finish line.
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Motorsport
In some types of motorsport, such as rallyes, competition numbers are attached to the vehicles taking part in a specific event. The competition number can also be used in conjunction with some kinds of timing systems, such as targa timing.
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Other sports
Other sports that may utilize competition numbers / bib numbers include:
While the uniform numbers of various sportspeople have become well-known, this is rare for competition numbers, which generally are used by an athlete only for a single event. Some notable exceptions include:
