Amputee sprinter ruled ineligible for Olympics

[comicgirl]

MONTE CARLO, Monaco (AP) - All his life, Oscar Pistorius has confronted obstacles. The double-amputee sprinter from South Africa now faces another one — a decision barring him from the Olympics.

Track and field's governing body ruled Monday he is ineligible to compete this summer in Beijing — or any other sanctioned able-bodied competitions — because his "Cheetah" racing blades are "technical aids" that give him a clear advantage.

"He has been competing in South African able-bodied competition for the past three years," Van Zyl said. "At this stage it looks like he is out of any able-bodied event."

http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/7658380?MSNHPHCP&GT1=10838



Fair or not fair?

 

[redmarvel]

Think of it this way: If he were to win, then future Olympians might deliberately get operations to improve their performance. Cybermen / Cyborgs would be the only winners.

 

[primemover]

Completely and utterly fair.

 

[Avangarde]

Think of it this way: If he were to win, then future Olympians might deliberately get operations to improve their performance. Cybermen / Cyborgs would be the only winners.

 

[Avangarde]

Life was unfair to him causing his disabilty, it's only "fair" that he be given the oppotunity to make something of his disability.

 

[Jerry!]

How would it be fair to the other runners when he has an edge over them because of it? It's a tough call, but the right one.

 

[Manic]

You know, I'm going to be an insensitive jerk and say that it's fair that he not be allowed in the Olympics. Yes, he's probably a very fast runner, but he's not using his original legs. They're artificial. His weaknesses and strengths aren't the same as they'd be for any other athlete. Essentially, he'd be racing under a different set of limits, even if he is just as capable.

Also, like redmarvel said, it would open up strange doors for the Olympics of the future. I'm not saying we'd be dealing with a bunch of Bionic Men, but how long until other athletes with artificial, spring-loaded limbs enter the games? What if it become a competition of engineering over athleticism?

 

[Avangarde]

Hang on a second, is he in the Olympics or the Special Olympics?

 

[Elijya]

The fact is the tensile strength of the flaps on his artificial running legs affect how fast he can run. Given that this can be adjusted to make him faster or slower using different thicknesses and types of material and what not, it's completely pointless for him to compete. If his performance can be determined by something other than how he himself trained, it's pointless. The only thing comparable for the other runners would be what type of shoes they wear, and while it's conceivable that a runners shoes affect their performance, the difference is minute compared to their own natural running skills. With him, it is not. In no way can he ever be on a "fair" standing with able-bodied runners. I sympathize with the man and think he's awesome, but I don't think he should compete in the Olympics.

Hang on a second, is he in the Olympics or the Special Olympics?

He's trying to compete in the official Olympics. He's been racing against able-bodied runners for years, whenever he can. He gets talked about alot because 1, he's awesome, and 2, the controversy about whether it's fair for him to race other runners comes up pretty repeatedly.

What if it become a competition of engineering over athleticism?

To be fair, in several Olympic sports engineering plays a MAJOR role. But the Olympics place certain restrictions on what is engineered, and every participant is using the same kind of equipment. i.e. it matters what kind of Bobsled you use, but you won't be entering one with rocket jets. It matters what kind of Bow and Arrows you use in Archery, but there are standards for both.

 

[Avangarde]

Hmm if its the able-bodied games then that's a little different, in the special olympics there are certain rules that exist for different types of disabilities, I thought it was these games he was playing in, my bad.

 

[echostation]

i think they should allow a group of like/similar competitors who can have these leg attachments race together... then that would be fair cuz they're training with the same pair of "new legs..."

 

[Elijya]

i think they should allow a group of like/similar competitors who can have these leg attachments race together... then that would be fair cuz they're training with the same pair of "new legs..."

They do have that, it's called the Special Olympics. The point is this guy really wants to be treated as an equal and compete against able bodied runners in the worlds most prestigious competition.

 

[3dman27]

i suppose the olympics made the right desision but being handicapped myself i can't' blame him for wanting to try

 

[Mike_D202]

That would be like wearing that new japanese exo-skeleton that increases strength/power (even if you have a disorder which makes you lose muscle compacity) and entering a weight lifting competition.

 

[Jerry!]

Not everyone can be an Olympian. That's just the way it is.

 

[chamber-music]

Oscar Pistorius actully isn't even fast enough to make the the finals. His Career best would not put him in the running anyway.

 

[Elijya]

Oscar Pistorius actully isn't even fast enough to make the the finals. His Career best would not put him in the running anyway.

Odd, since the ruling quoted above states his blades give him an advantage.

But also, this ruling will effect his elligibility to compete in other events outside of the Olympics

 

[Drakon]

As an amputee, I'd agree with the Olympic Board. I know far too well the benefit of having a good prosthetic [or, more specifically, the detrimental effects of having a bad one]

 

[Jerry!]

You're a cripple? I mean handicapped. *still gets the look* I mean handi-capable.

 

[Mr. Credible]

The fact is the tensile strength of the flaps on his artificial running legs affect how fast he can run. Given that this can be adjusted to make him faster or slower using different thicknesses and types of material and what not, it's completely pointless for him to compete. If his performance can be determined by something other than how he himself trained, it's pointless. The only thing comparable for the other runners would be what type of shoes they wear, and while it's conceivable that a runners shoes affect their performance, the difference is minute compared to their own natural running skills. With him, it is not. In no way can he ever be on a "fair" standing with able-bodied runners. I sympathize with the man and think he's awesome, but I don't think he should compete in the Olympics.



He's trying to compete in the official Olympics. He's been racing against able-bodied runners for years, whenever he can. He gets talked about alot because 1, he's awesome, and 2, the controversy about whether it's fair for him to race other runners comes up pretty repeatedly.



To be fair, in several Olympic sports engineering plays a MAJOR role. But the Olympics place certain restrictions on what is engineered, and every participant is using the same kind of equipment. i.e. it matters what kind of Bobsled you use, but you won't be entering one with rocket jets. It matters what kind of Bow and Arrows you use in Archery, but there are standards for both.

pretty much what i was going to say... only this way i don't have to type it.

thanks.

 

[raybia]

MONTE CARLO, Monaco (AP) - All his life, Oscar Pistorius has confronted obstacles. The double-amputee sprinter from South Africa now faces another one — a decision barring him from the Olympics.

Track and field's governing body ruled Monday he is ineligible to compete this summer in Beijing — or any other sanctioned able-bodied competitions — because his "Cheetah" racing blades are "technical aids" that give him a clear advantage.

"He has been competing in South African able-bodied competition for the past three years," Van Zyl said. "At this stage it looks like he is out of any able-bodied event."

http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/7658380?MSNHPHCP&GT1=10838



Fair or not fair?

This would be a great movie!

The Pistorius Utimatium​

All his life, Oscar Pistorius has confronted obstacles. The double-amputee sprinter from South Africa now faces another one — a decision barring him from the Olympics.

As a result, Oscar hunts down each member of the Olympic commitee as revenge.

Only the former designer of the artificial legs who knows its fully power, now a bounty hunter, can find and stop Oscar but will be he be to late before the Olympic games begin?

 

[Ghostvirus]

If they aren't going to let this dude in. They better tighten the leash on steriods, because if one of those runners even smells of HGH. This dude will has a strong case against the Olympic committee.

 

[CieloAzul]

Hang on a second, is he in the Olympics or the Special Olympics?

The Special Olympics are for the mentally challenged. Didn't anyone see The Ringer?

 

[Jerry!]

If they aren't going to let this dude in. They better tighten the leash on steriods, because if one of those runners even smells of HGH. This dude will has a strong case against the Olympic committee.

No he's not. If that were true he would have already had a strong case. Look at how many runners get busted for this stuff, just over the past few years.

 

[Alex The Great]

Bob sanders will heal him