Pistorius (double amputee) wins appeal, can run for Olympic spot

[underpants]

Source: Fox Sports

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) - Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius won his appeal Friday and can compete for a place in the Beijing Olympics.


Pistorius still must qualify, but he is now eligible to compete in the Olympics. (Andreas Solaro / Getty Images)
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the 21-year-old South African is eligible to race against able-bodied athletes, overturning a ban imposed by the International Association of Athletics Federations.

CAS said the unanimous ruling goes into effect immediately.

CAS said the IAAF failed to prove that Pistorius' running blades give him an advantage.

Pistorius was born without fibulas — the long, thin outer bone between the knee and ankle — and was 11 months old when his legs were amputated below the knee.



Read more: http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/8142170?MSNHPHCP>1=39002

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From Runner's World and analysis from February


In January, an independent study found that the prosthetic limbs used by Oscar Pistorius, a double below-the-knee amputee, give him an unfair advantage over runners with two whole legs, thus violating an International Amateur Athletics Federation rule that prohibits the use of technical aids. As a result, the IAAF banned the South African 400-meter specialist from competing in IAAF-sanctioned events--including the 2008 Olympic Summer Games in Beijing, China.

Less Energy Loss

When the foot hits the ground running, it moves through a landing, a stance (pause), and a push-off phase. Energy is lost during the stance. Br?ggemann found that the Cheetahs lost 9.3 percent versus the 41.4 percent energy loss experienced by able-bodied sprinters. That translates into more power per stride.

etc.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-297--12492-0,00.html

[greiner3]

1. Faux sports? Anyway;

I wish Oscar Pistorius the best. However, if he wins by a large margin, will the up and coming racers get themselves a double amputee also? Just a thought... :shrug:

[Posteritatis]

2. Well...

Anyone who's going to hack off their lower legs to give themselves a sporting edge is sufficiently hardcore that I think they should get the chance. ;)

[LawSchoolLiberal]

3. No.

He may get more return out of the prosthetics, but he has to use an unusual running style to get the return he does. It's more of a springing step than usual. I'd paste the video if I had it. The need to master that unusual style clearly outweighs the benefit.

[underpants]

5. Welcome to DU-here you go VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1so1ZMgpg2w

[Anexio]

6. Thanks for the link

Good video but the fact that he was able to go from last place to 2nd place in the last 100 meters seems to support the idea that his prosthetic device takes 25% less energy than a man with a normal body. If the race had been 401 meters he might have won!

Don't get me wrong, this is an extraordinary man, I just think his blades give an unfair advantage.

But you know, it doesn't really matter to me. I'm not going to watch the Olympics this summer anyway. And every since Michal Jordan won a gold metal for Basketball (The Dream Team), the Olympics have gone to hell.

[LiberalFighter]

12. Absolutely a big advantage

Considering that he doesn't have to worry about getting a charley horse, sprain his knee, or any other injury that a runner would suffer and incapacitate them.

The other runners should boycott if he participates.

Throw marbles in his lane. Or to avoid marbles going into the other lanes smear peanut butter in his lane.

[pop goes the weasel]

14. catching up is unfair?

I've seen runners with two full working legs move up from the back of the pack. Is that unfair too?

Pistorius has described how it always takes him a bit to gain his balance before he can make full use of his forward motion. He also has very poor traction and no sensation at all for what is going on below the knee. I think that the disadvantages are equal to any advantages, and that what counts is his athleticism.

[Anexio]

4. .

I guess it only matters what Court of Arbitration for Sport thinks and my opinion doesn't matter but....

I don't think he should be allowed to compete with normal bodied athletes. I agree with the IAAF in that the device he wears gives him an unfair advantage.

Normal bodied athletes are not allowed to put "flubber" in their running shoes but the IAAD recognizes that athletes that run need to wear shoes. That sort of thing is very tightly controlled and I think these blades he uses go beyond normal footwear.

Sorry, I think this is unfair to the other athletes.


One last thing, if Pistorius is going to compete in normal bodied sporting events, wouldn't he now be ineligible to participate in the Para-Olympics?

[BearSquirrel2]

11. If the other athletes are allowed to wear blades.

If the other athletes are allowed to wear blades, I'd say it was fine. The fact is that anyone can wear recreational versions of these prosthetics and it makes them faster. Basically, it's just a matter of lengthening the lower leg and ... voila you're faster.

[Lance_Boyle]

7. bad decision, but

I, for one, welcome our new springy prosthetic appendage-bearing speed racer overlords. The Olympics is doodoocrap anyway.

[chelsea0011]

8. This is more of a technological achievement that has nothing to do

with whether or not he should be allowed in the Olympic trials. trach shoes have gone through all kinds of changes to improve speed but you never make a shoe that would give an unfair advantage(whatever that may be). As much as I understand the arguement I believe if the device were altered so as not to give that much spring and more of a running motion there would be an outcry that he should be able to wear whatever he chooses to run. I can't understand the court in this case.

[underpants]

16. I foresee military applications

You just know those DARPA folks see the study done (OP) and what this could mean to foot soldiers in terms of covering distance (usually mechanized at this point but there are still straight leg units out there) as well as less daily wear and tear. Even in an urban security providing operation it could put the soldiers above the shoulders of the crowd adding to their visibility OF the crowd as well as TO the crowd.

Some sort of attachment to the boot or lower legging would probably be how this was instituted.

[Jefferson23]

9. Good decision, when I think of the level of steroid use by the so called normal runners

who the hell do they think they are kidding.

[KamaAina]

10. If he has such an unfair advantage,

why has he so far been unable to post a time that would qualify him for the Olympics?

This is all much ado about nothing, unless a) he can manage to shave a full second off his time in a matter of weeks (not gonna happen) or b) the South African team selects him for the 4x400 relay (probably not gonna happen unless SA has a severe shortage of 400m runners).

[Anexio]

13. Because he's not an Olympic caliber athlete

He's a fine athlete but he's not in the same league as the Olympic level runners.

The blades he wears brings him close to the speed of the top runners but since he's not a world class athlete he's not hitting the time he needs to qualify.

If you put big enough blades on my grandmother she could qualify. (Well, maybe not but you get my point.) :>

[underpants]

15. See the analysis (OP) above and the video on post #5

at the end of the video he clearly has more energy left than the rest of the field.


Again, the analysis shows that he has a advantageous loss of energy on each foot strike.