Oscar Pistorius is the South African Paralympic sprinter who wants to compete against able bodied runners. It looks like his bid to switch to Olympic competition will be denied by the International Association of Athletics Federations.
IAAF report concludes that Pistorius’ Carbon fibre prosthetic limbs provide a “considerable advantage”
The IAAF tests on Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius have now been handed to IAAF President Lamine Diack, and the early reports are that the tests have indeed confirmed that the carbon fibre prosthetic limbs, knowns as “Cheetahs”, do in fact provide Pistorius with “considerable advantage” over other runners.
Unfortunately and frustratingly for us, the IAAF have issued a press release which states that “the IAAF does not plan to discuss the contents of the report, or make any public announcement about any decision related to the report, until 10 January 2008″. Because of this, we don’t have access to the specific results and so we cannot, unfortunately, bring you any more detailed insights or interpretation of the specific test results. But the lead researcher, biomechanics expert Prof Gert-Pieter Bruggemann was quoted in a German newspaper as saying that the advantage is considerable – several percentage points in size. Apparently Prof Bruggemann was himself surprised at the size of the difference. …
5 comments ↓
I think the IAAF is retarded for not allowing him to run. If they’re not going to allow him to run then they need to start more stringent testing purposes for track athletes who take steroids. That gives them an “unfair advantage”
I agree wholeheartedly with you on the second point about the tighter control of steroids. But can I just make the point that the IAAF and the IOC do already ban steroids, and they are testing for them as much as possible. The problem there is that the people who design the drugs are a step ahead of the people who test for them, possibly even more than this.
So in banning the prosthetics limbs, the IAAF have done exactly what they should to protect the sport from problems in the future. It is far easier to enforce this kind of law, and that’s the only reason people will make the comparison you make.
Truth is, people need to evaluate the facts, not the emotion, because it is a separate issue.
I’m not so sure their decision is “retarded”, Katrina, without seeing the contents of the report on why they drew the conclusion they did.
It’s a shame, in many ways, as Oscar Pistorius could give a huge morale boost and be an inspiration to millions of those who have a disability. But if “Cheetahs” do go far above and beyond simply setting Pistorius on an equal footing with other athletes, then the technology changes the whole nature and purpose of his sport: to find out who is the fastest human being on two legs. We should not let our heart strings be manipulated into changing the rules by creating “feel good” policies. Would you allow Lee Major’s 6 million dollar bionic man into the competition, if his character were real? After all, his natural arm and legs are replaced, just like the carbon fibre prosthetic limbs of Pistorius.
Why not allow short people to then participate in the NBA by wearing elevator pumps and the use of other technology that act as “equalizers” to the “unfair” height advantage of tall players in the game. Where does it end? Mental, health, dietary, natural athleticism handicaps? We are all disadvantaged in some ways; and advantaged in others.
Google Tatyana McFadden, a high school student who sued under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to be allowed to compete in track competition, using her wheelchair.
Great. So now the competition proves….what exactly? That someone on mechanical wheels can beat runners using their natural tools?
If we had a handstand walking contest and you have an amputee who is missing one arm, are you going to allow him to enter the contest by fast-walking on his good two legs? Or strap himself onto a skateboard and wheel himself across the finish line with his one good arm?
If he can hop across the finish line on one arm, or one arm and a stump, then good for him! That would be amazingly impressive and inspiring!
If you don’t have the God-given attributes to participate in certain sports, you know what? Tough. That may sound harsh, but it’s also the cold facts of life.
I’m vertically-challenged for the NBA. But I don’t expect exceptions, special treatment, allowances, and affirmative action policies to be created, just so my feelings and self-esteem aren’t bruised. Short people can be great basketball players, but without “dumbing down” the sport, to make it “fair” to those born less privileged for specific sports.
Think of all the tall people who are hampered by the size of gymnastics equipment. To make it truly fair, we’d have balance beams from 4 inches wide, to 7 inches wide, with a host of sizes in between, to accommodate. Same with pommel horse, high bar, the circumference of the bars to accommodate different hand sizes, etc.
Ok, sorry for not being succinct and concise, to the point. But that really got me started.
Wordsmith: You took the words right out of my mouth. I completely agree with IAAF’s decision.
Yes, I’m sad to see a man missing his two legs, but we are evaluating the speed created by the legs. We need to focus on what is being evaluated here. If we are evaluating the fastest handstand walker and a man asked to be allowed to compete with able bodied individuals and he was missing a leg, then of course he/she should be allowed because the components of what is being assess does not even include the legs.
If Oscar Pistorius was missing his arms below the elbows and applied for the right to compete with able bodied individuals, then I’m sure the IAAF would have a completely different decision.
it shows different things about Oscar P. how the IAAF did him and stuff. its really wrong to do something like this to a person.:(
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