Monday, January 14, 2008

It's Official: Oscar Pistorius Barred from Olympic Games

Today, the IAAF has issued its official ruling that Oscar Pistorius' two carbon fiber prosthetic feet give him an unfair advantage over able-bodied athletes. It has barred him from the 2008 Beijing Olympics and any other track meet it sanctions.


As reported by the news agency Reuters, the official report issued by Professor Peter Bruggeman at the German Sport University in Cologne concludes that "Pistorius was able to run with his prosthetic blades at the same speed as the able-bodied sprinters with about 25 percent less energy expenditure." The same data, however, could also be interpreted to show that with his cardiovascular strength, he could run faster than those guys if he had their legs.
Nevertheless, Oscar Pistorius has done so much to raise awareness around the world about amputation, prosthetics, disabled sport and disability in general. His is a truely heroic sport story!


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