Really specific question about olympics?

Question

I was looking through the Official Olympic Report online from the 1980 Moscow games looking for an athlete I used to know. The link of the report is: http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1980/or1980v3.pdf On page 47, 400 meter hurdles, in the top third of the page, instead of a time, the letters "ab" are listed for a couple competetors and "np" are listed for another. One of the "ab"s is the athlete in question and I was just wondering what this means. I thought it could mean absent but it just seems strange that someone would make it all the way to the olympics and then not show up to their race. I realize that there is a slim chance of someone knowing what the "ab" is because this is such a specific question but you never know... Thanks

Answer 1

AB would mean DNF (did not finish), and NP would mean DNS (did not start). Those are the two most common ways that someone would fail to record a time in an athletics event. And a DNF would always be placed above a DNS. I'm assuming the acronyms used in that document must be from the French translations???

For instance, have a look at the results of the marathon - you would naturally expect a lot of DNFs, people who failed to finish, and sure enough, there are more then a dozen with AB next to their name (plus two guys below them with NP, who evidently didn't start the race). There is also a third acronym used, which is DQ (for example check out the walking events), which would be disqualified or DSQ.

Answer 2

np might be non-participant, but can't think what ab is.

I've got to know now.

Answer 3

Well i doubt that the "ab" means absent, because that link isn't in english so i guess it could be the same abbreviation in english but you never know.

And if it did mean absent, a lot of athletes miss the olympics believe it or not.  Injuries, host country problems, such as china didn't let a gold medalist from the USA come and compete so i'm not sure.