What Part of the Body Determines a Win in Track & Field? (Photo Finish Explained)
Summary
In track & field, the winner is the first athlete whose torso crosses the finish line, not hands, arms, head, or legs. Photo finish technology uses high-speed cameras (1,000+ frames/second) aligned with the finish plane to confirm results.
Why Do Some Athletes Dive at the Finish?
Think of Usain Bolt pressing his shoulder at the finish. Or Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone leaning hard at the line.
Why? Because in track & field, the torso decides the winner.
Not the head. Not the arms. Not the feet.
That’s why a perfectly timed lean—or a full dive—can mean gold or silver.
What Counts at the Finish?
Per World Athletics rules:
Torso = shoulders, chest, abdomen.
NOT included = head, arms, hands, legs, feet.
The finish plane is a vertical plane extending upward from the finish line.
First torso across = winner.
Diving forward can help (torso crosses sooner), but reaching a hand won’t count.
How Photo Finish Works
Cameras: High-speed digital cameras at the finish line capture 1,000+ images per second.
Alignment: Each camera is aligned exactly with the finish line plane.
Output: Creates a photo strip—a time-encoded image of every torso crossing.
Judges: Officials review and confirm placement down to 0.001s if needed.
Think of it like a scanner: as each athlete crosses, their body is “scanned” into a time-stamped strip.
Common Misconceptions (Myth vs Fact)
| Myth | Fact |
|---|---|
| The first foot across the line wins. | False. Feet don’t count—only the torso. |
| The first head or hand across wins. | False. Head and arms are excluded. Torso only. |
| Photo finish is just a zoomed-in picture. | No. It’s a high-speed scanning camera aligned with the line plane. |
| Diving is always faster. | Not always. Diving can slow momentum and cost time unless perfectly executed. |
Famous Photo Finish Moments
These moments remind us: inches (and torso position) decide medals.
Shaunae Miller-Uibo, 2016 Rio 400m → dove across the line to beat Allyson Felix.
Tokyo 2020 400m hurdles final → silver and bronze, separated by 0.02s.
Why the Torso Rule?
Consistency: Torso is the body’s central mass.
Practicality: Harder to game (vs flailing arms).
Technology: Easier to detect consistently with finish-line cameras.
Key Takeaways (TL;DR)
Winner = first torso across the plane.
Arms, legs, head, hands don’t count.
Photo finish cameras scan results at 1,000+ fps.
Diving and leaning are risky, but can win races.
Want to train your finishing lean? Check out our Sprint Training Guides and learn about the Best Sprint Spikes to maximize speed to the line.
FAQs
1. What body part determines the winner in track?
The torso (shoulders, chest, abdomen)—not arms, head, or legs.
2. Does diving always help at the finish?
Not always. It can slow momentum. It only works if perfectly timed to get the torso across faster.
3. How accurate is photo finish?
Up to 0.001 seconds. Cameras scan at thousands of frames per second.
4. Why not count the arms or head?
They’re inconsistent and too easy to manipulate—torso is central and fair.
Master your lean. Don’t let inches cost you the win.
Explore Sprint Training Guides or book a Free Athlete Consultation.
