Should Oscar be allowed to run?
There seems to be a controvery afoot (sorry, dreadful pun, as you'll come to discover) in the world of disability sport.
South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, a double amputee who runs on a pair of carbon fibre prostbetics, can zip through the 400 metres in just 46.34 seconds, which is only 0.8 seconds outside the country's required Olympic qualifying time. And it's the fact that a place in the 2008 Olympics - rather than the Paralympics - alongside non-disabled athletes is one of Pistorius's stated aims that is causing such debate in athletics circles, plus the fact that there are claims that the runner's ultra hi-tech prosthetics give him an unfair advantage. The latter is something that Pistorius vigorously denies, saying that it's his hours of dedicated training which make all the difference. For the moment, however, we'll just have to wait and see what happens - because the International Association of Athletics Federations is to make its decision about Oscar's Olympic eligibility in the Spring.
You can read more on the sporting controversy surrounding Oscar Pistorius on the ´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service website, which also includes an audio report. And there's a Q&A with the man himself on the site.
But what's your view, Ouch'ers? Should Oscar be allowed to run in the Olympics, or not?
Comments
If Oscar is allowed to run, he should have to use false legs which resemble real legs, rather than hi-tech options or blades, as these are obviously superior to real legs and give an unfair advantage. That way, if it is indeed his training which makes him so good, he can prove this. Surely if this is true, he will be good regardless of the type of legs he is running on.
I think it should be looked at on a race-by-race basis. If Pistorius is competing against disabled athletes who have access to similar aids, fair enough. If they do not, he should not either. If he is competing against able-bodied people he should wear prostheses which resemble ordinary legs rather than wearing blades. It is the same as any sport, in the race it should be a level playing field. And if as he claims his talent is due to training, he should not have any problem whatever legs he is wearing.
The olymips embody the human spirt so is Oscar less than human anyone would think blades are like Annabolic steriods any able boied athalite can be abused in an under hand fashion How can blades be abused when they are in full view
I don't think the blades give him an unfair advantage, because no matter how long his running stride is, he still has to put the energy in to achieve that, the blades do not add energy to his performance. However, no-one seems to be talking about the weight of the blades. If their weight is similar to actual lower legs, then there is no problem. But, if they are much lighter then he is getting an advantage, as it will take him less energy to run a certain distance than a non-disabled athlete.
It is beyond belief that any advantage can be gained from the type of prosthetic that Oscar Pistorius is using that would mean he would be able to compete with more of an advantage than the modern footware that athletes use today. Perhaps, All athletes should be asked to run in bare feet to ensure nobody has more spring in their stride.