Brad Morgan
16 January 2008
South African double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius has been barred from competing in the Beijing Olympics after a report commissioned by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) found that the prosthetic "blades" he runs on give him an unfair advantage.
By all reports, the "fastest man on no legs" is not about to take this lying down, and is planning to take his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The IAAF's decision has sparked numerous heated back-and-forth discussions on message boards on websites around the world, with no clear-cut opinion emerging from the man in the street.
Scientific investigation
After a two-day scientific investigation, supervised by Professor Peter Bruggemann at the German Sport University of Cologne, Bruggemann concluded that the prosthetics Pistorius uses require 25% less energy than able-bodied athletes need to run at similar speeds.
The study said that once the Paralympic superstar reaches a certain speed, less additional energy is needed than is the case with natural limbs.
It also found that the mechanical advantage of running with the prosthetics was higher than 30% in the ankle because of the loss of energy in the joint that able-bodied athletes experience.
The returned energy from Pistorius's prosthetic blade is close to three times higher than that of the human ankle joint in maximum sprinting, the report said.
Not surprised
According to various media reports, Pistorius wasn't surprised by Bruggemann's findings. He said he had spoken to others about Bruggemann before the tests, so he suspected that the findings would go against him. Nonetheless, he admitted that hearing them was a shock.
Having been forewarned, though, Pistorius said he was prepared for a negative report and ready to continue his fight by other methods, including testing with other, independent scientists.
For some, it might seem to be an open-and-shut case that Pistorius has an unfair advantage, given the results of the IAAF's testing, but other questions could be raised in support of him.
Advantages versus disadvantages
While the prosthetics, known as "Cheetahs", are said to give Pistorius an advantage, the question remains: how much is he disadvantaged by his disability.
Pistorius had both legs amputated when he was 11 months old because he was born without fibulas, which are bones found between the knee and the ankle. How does one reasonably balance out the advantages the "Cheetahs" give Pistorius and the disadvantages of his double amputations?
One could also ask why, if the blades Pistorius uses give him such a big advantage, disabled athletes have not far surpassed able-bodied athletes in the record books? They haven't. They haven't even come close to the achievements of able-bodied athletes.
The Olympics
In fact, Pistorius is the first disabled athlete to truly challenge for a place in the Olympics based on a comparison of his performances against able-bodied athletes.
To be honest, however qualifying for the Games would not only be an outstanding achievement, it would also be a surprising one. A medal threat Pistorius is not.
Pistorius has overcome huge obstacles to achieve what he has so far - world Paralympic records in the 100, 200, and 400 metre sprints - but the challenge he now faces is even more daunting: entry into the Olympic Games.
Further investigation
It is difficult to take up a position either wholly for or against his inclusion at the Olympics. And it is probably too early to reach any conclusions; after further tests are conducted a clearer picture will emerge about the relative advantages and disadvantages Pistorius faces.
His case holds huge implications for the future of competition between able-bodied and disabled athletes. Pistorius has already competed against able-bodied athletes, but if he is unsuccessful in his bid to participate in the Olympics, the chances of other disabled athletes bridging the gap will suffer a huge blow.
The IAAF's decision is certainly a big setback, but Pistorius has fought to overcome numerous obstacles throughout his life. Clearly, he is not someone who simply accepts "no" for an answer, and so his mission to compete in the Olympic Games continues.
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