What does 'SB' mean in the Olympics? Track and Field abbreviations explained

With track and field well underway at Paris 2024, there may be a few terms and abbreviations that the average Joe may not be familiar with.

But don't worry, we've got you covered.

And there's a few terms we'll help you wrap your head around as competition ramps up.

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Let's start by breaking down the WR and OR terms.

These two are the ones you'll see across more than just the track and field events.

WR stands for world record, while OR means Olympic record.

You'll see these two abbreviations used a lot during Paris 2024, as every run, jump, swim, throw or walk could result in a new WR or OR.

Next, let's move on to what a PB and SB mean.

A PB is something you'll hear in everyday life, not just the Olympic Games. It stands for personal best, and will occur when an athlete finishes their event in the quickest time of their career.

But SB, now that's not as clear.

SB stands for season's best. That means an athlete's score or time is the most successful of their current season.

It takes into account the most recent events and compares those times and scores accordingly.

DQ stands for disqualified, which is as straightforward as its name. An athlete who has been rubbed out of their event for reasons such as a false start.

DNS stands for did not start, which you'll usually only see when a runner cannot even make it to the beginning of the event in the first place.

DNF, or did not finish, on the other hand, means that the athlete did in fact start their race, but couldn't complete it.

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As for jumping events, an X means a foul has been recorded. An O means that athlete has reached a certain height, while an R means that athlete has retired early.

And a Q, across all events, simply means that an athlete has qualified for the next round, in hopes of winning an elusive Olympic medal.

Let's recap those abbreviations below.

OR: Olympics record

WR: World record

SB: Season's best

PB: Personal best

DQ: Disqualified

DNF: Did not finish

DNS: Did Not Start

Q: Qualified

X: Foul

O: Athlete reaches certain height in jumping events

R: Retired (hurt)