Amputee Sprinter Wins Olympic Appeal to Compete 366
Dr. Eggman writes "Oscar Pistorius, a 21-year-old South African double-amputee sprinter, has won his appeal filed with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. This overturns a ban imposed by the International Association of Athletics Federations, and allows Mr. Pistorius the chance to compete against other able-bodied athletes for a chance at a place on the South African team for the Beijing Olympics. He currently holds the 400-meter Paralympic world sprinting record, but must improve on his time by 1.01 seconds to meet the Olympic qualification standard. However, even if Pistorius fails to get the qualifying time, South African selectors could add Oscar to the Olympic 1,600-meter relay squad."
So where do you draw the line ? (Score:5, Interesting)
Artificial limbs, I see that. Now what is with someone who had laser surgery on his eyes so he/she can see better ? Would you ban that person from a shooting match ? Even if he/she still can't see better than a top athlete ? If the person can see on par ? Or better ?
In the end, the questions we should ask ourselves probably are not about fairness but about the purpose of such games.
For long distance it can be an advantage (Score:3, Interesting)
Will athletes start hacking their own legs off to get ahead?
Re:Deserves a chance (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Cyborg Olympics (Score:3, Interesting)
But back on topic, this guy DOES enjoy a measurable mechanical advantage over his flesh and blood competitors. Yes, he had extra work to do to be able to use the devices, but by the same token we don't let pole vaulters (with pole) in the high-jump.
Re:How unfair... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:For long distance it can be an advantage (Score:0, Interesting)
In Hawaii, canoe racing is a big sport. Sport isn't even the right term. Fierce competition is more suitable. And there are Men's and Women's canoe clubs, the men's being slightly faster as usual. Well, one of the women's canoe clubs had a member who used to be a man. "She" had the operation and took the hormones, and legally was now a woman. Oh, the fit other clubs had over that situation, because she had a man's greater muscle mass and all that. Her club defended having her because legally she was a she, and besides all the hormones and therapy she was on actually made her less able to compete evenly because those drugs mess up the body to an extent, so they said.
But the biggest concern that the oversight board had was that, in the future, if a man was not quite able to compete with other men, he might elect to go this route and join a women's club. That way he, or she, would be among the top athletes in her sport.
Now I ask you, would you cut off your legs to compete in the Olympics, mabye even be guaranteed the gold medal? If the answer is yes, would you instead be willing to cut off other appendages and win the gold medal in the women's division of the same sport?
Scientific experts for hire (Score:3, Interesting)
The guy should run long distances (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:How unfair... (Score:4, Interesting)
I wasn't born with legs fast enough to run 400 meters in 45 seconds either even with feet. Yes it sucks to not have two feet but that doesn't mean anyone should get an advantage in getting to the Olympics. Not me and not anyone else.
Re:How unfair... (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:How unfair... (Score:1, Interesting)
This guy has never had to worry about his shoes coming off, rubbing him wrong, etc. Granted he may have issues that I didn't, but every difference like this is just another reason he isn't like a normal human and that translates to _not_equal_
Not only that, but I went through HELL running with shin splints. I had a career ending injury to my lower leg. My calfs were usually the sorest part of my body after hard workouts. My heart had to provide blood to all that extra body mass.
Another difference is easy to see when you find out he runs slower on the curves. While that is somewhat true for others, not as dramatic as this guy. That is the time when you lean and use the muscles in your lower legs to help you make the curve. This is a disadvantage to him, but he easily makes up for it in the straight away.
When the next guy comes along and he actually has the physical ability without the cheetahs, he will be breaking all the records. Then everyone will realize that this is a bad idea.
A wrestling parallel (Score:5, Interesting)
- his weight class was effectively lowered
- many moves would became ineffective against him (you can't grab an arm if it isn't there).
- years of living with one arm had made that arm very, very strong. This combined with the weight class issue meant that his arm was generally absurdly stronger that his opponent's.
- surprise. Most folks had no experience wrestling a one-armed opponent and were not prepared. It changed the game.
Of course, there were also disadvantages. Many moves require two arms, and his armless side was a zone he could not reach into. My friend was able to capitalize on this, attacking from the armless side. In the end, my friend won, but not easily.
All this without prosthetics even.
Do I think this guy and an unfair advantage? Well no. But it is not an easy situation to analyze.
Precedents. (Score:3, Interesting)
Unfortunately, he was disqualified as well. His unfair advantage- less weight to get over the bar, and fewer muscles requiring oxygen.
Times and public sentiment were different then. I'd bet that today he'd be allowed to compete. Ironic that we had a "crippled" president, but a one-legged man wasn't allowed to be an olympian. But imagine a presidential candidate in a wheelchair today...
Re:How unfair... (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm not sure how reliable the info is, but the examples in this NY Times article seem to disagree:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/20/sports/baseball/20surgery.html [nytimes.com]
The Altered Olympics (TM) (Score:2, Interesting)
That said, it's time for the new era of Altered Olympics.
Unrestricted use of technology, implants, body mods, anything goes!
Unrestricted drug use and doping!
I want to see a tweaked-to-the-max behemoth of a man, who's pounded his body with "roids" for four years, doing a 1500 lb cling and jerk. (The crowds really roar when the bones snap!)
I want to watch cyber-limbed athletes hitting their meth pipes and throwing them into the crowds before performing a stunning decathlon!
The possibilities? Endless! The ratings? Through the roof!
PM
Re:inspiration v. tech (Score:5, Interesting)
He's not running circles around everyone else, because the rest of his body isn't up to it.
What if we put cybernetic legs on the current second or third place dude? Might he then be the world record holder, solely because of the artificial legs?
Re:Performance enhancing - legs vs drugs (Score:5, Interesting)
Don't think it won't happen. Obsessed athletes are among the absolute worst for ignoring long-term consequences in favour of short-term goals.
Re:inspiration v. tech (Score:3, Interesting)
Despite which, the wheelchair team thoroughly trounced our able-bodied team.
Re:inspiration v. tech (Score:3, Interesting)
Isn't this like the PGA vs LPGA tour? (Score:3, Interesting)
Once you hear of something like this it is time to find your sports fix elsewhere. This is really more of a political correctness / "we are all equal but some of us are more equal than others" movement than a sports one.
It all comes back to one group wanting a one-way advantage over another. This furthers the "minority" advantage everywhere, tilting the playing field even more toward pig rule. P.C. = irony challenged.