An unfair advantage?

[poltr1]

South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius is somewhat unique in the world of track and field. He's a double amuptee who wears J-shaped carbon-fibre prosthetics as his legs. One of his goals is to compete in the Olympics alongside able-bodied sprinters.

However, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which is the governing body of international track and field events (including the Olympics), is saying that his "legs" give him an unfair advantage. Here's the article on MSNBC.

Sometimes I think rules are just plain stupid. I think this man should compete.

Comments

[dragon-pet.livejournal.com]

I heard about this on the news while on vacation. It made me mad! I mean, I think it comes down to is people don't want someone who isn't "normal" to beat "normal" able bodied people. It is a sick way of thinking. Shame on them.

[stevemb.livejournal.com]

I remember a bit on The Colbert Report about this story. In blowhard-pundit character, Colbert pointed out that if the other athletes thought it was an advantage, they could always cut off their own legs and replace them with similar prosthetics.

[fuzzyvanman.livejournal.com]

While I think it's great that prosthetics are aproaching the capabilities of "natural" limbs, I think there is a real point here. The capabilities of the prosthetics will only increase as time goes on. How long before Steve Austin wins the Olympics (all events)?

[poltr1]

Probably when they make pro wrestling an Olympic sport. Stone Cold don't do no Greco-Roman stuff.

Oh....*that* Steve Austin.

But seriously....that's what the IAAF is worried about. That no one's going to enhance their abilities with mechanical devices, performance-enhancing drugs, etc. But Pistorus' times are somewhat comparable against the times of able-bodied runners.

[yourmommma.livejournal.com]

What I think ultimately is that this guy is going to be a touchstone for arguing about artificial limbs and within twenty years it will be allowed. Remember the two-handed back-hand in tennis?