You’re Totally Allowed To Dive For The Finish Line At The Olympic Games

Yesterday, controversy raged on Twitter (the home of both controversy and rage) over Shaunae Miller’s victory in the 400m final at Rio 2016.

In the closing seconds of the race, the Bahamian sprinter was nearly overtaken by the United States’ Allyson Felix. And Felix might have added a fifth gold Olympic medal to her career tally if it wasn’t for Miller’s last move: a dive across the finish line. At least, that was the narrative being spun on social media.

Allyson Felix when she's standing next to Shaunae Miller on the podium. pic.twitter.com/M2jynMA6ve

— Michael Blackmon (@blackmon) August 16, 2016

Miller won the race, headfirst, over Felix by 0.07 seconds, denying Felix her gold. (With the silver, however, Felix still becomes America’s most decorated female runner.)

But here’s the thing: Miller’s move was not only legal, it may have actually impeded her ability to outrace Felix.

First: The official rulebook says “athletes shall be placed in the order in which any part of their bodies… reaches the vertical plane of the nearer edge of the finish line”, including their “torso, as distinguished from the head, neck arms, legs, hands or feet”. This means an athlete need not put their foot first over the line to win; theoretically, they could stumble backwards, butt-first, and still win.

Therefore, any claim that Miller didn’t legally, or ethically, win, is bunk. (As The Ringer points out, even USA Track & Field’s website profiles their own 2012 champ, Jeff Porter, as “diving across the finish line in heroic fashion”.)

Shaunae Miller on her 400m win last night: "What was on my mind was that I had to get a gold medal." #Athletics pic.twitter.com/GlgsvYnIaw

— Rio 2016 (@Rio2016_en) August 16, 2016

Second: The idea that Miller’s dive gave her an unfair advantage is also inaccurate. Actual science says diving causes deceleration, and that the fastest way to finish a race is indeed on your feet.

After the race, the graceful Felix took to Instagram to express her disappointment at the race’s outcome; though, not specifically with Miller.

Should the rulebook’s stance on diving be addressed? Perhaps. But there’s no need to equivocate in 2016. At this Olympic Games, Shaunae Miller won the 400m gold, fair and square.

Photo: Rio 2016.