Heartless twit, or not?
A South African paralympic champion was told he could not compete in the upcoming Beijing Olympics because his artificial legs give him an unfair advantage. The Institute of Biomechanics at Cologne University conducted tests that found 21-year-old Oscar Pistorius is able to run on his prosthetic blades at the same speed as able bodied sprinters with about 25 percent less energy expenditure. Pistorius plans to appeal the decision, saying “I feel that it is my responsibility, on behalf of other disabled athletes, to stand firm.”
But columnist Michael Rosenberg agreed with the ruling:
Hey, I tried to change my mind. I did my best. But I couldn’t get past the idea that you run with your legs, and that the best runners in the world, by definition, need to run with their legs. Isn’t that what we’re measuring when there are six sprinters on the track together? Who can run the fastest?
Rosenberg said he suspects many people agree with him, but others probably think he’s a “heartless twit.” What do you think?




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back to top13 Comments to “Heartless twit, or not?”
“Heartless twit.” I thought this thread was about me!
I think I’ve listening to way too much Carly Simon . . .
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I’ve thought about this for a while….
What’s to prevent someone from amputating their legs and getting augmented legs just so they can run faster than anyone on the planet? (Sortof like turbo or supercharged nitrosoxide super engines for legs.)
Would you allow them to compete against “normally aspirated” engines?
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I agree with the ruling as well. The prosthetic blades give Pistorius an unfair advantage. He should not be able to use them.
Also, realize that the IAAF did not say Pistorius couldn’t compete. The IAAF said he couldn’t compete using those particular blades.
If Pistorius wants to compete, the choice is his. He needs to find blades that do not offer an unfair advantage. This is where I part ways with Rosenberg. I don’t care if Pistorius doesn’t have legs. I only care that the blades don’t give him an advantage.
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I feel for Pistorius, but isn’t using blade that give him an unfair advantage a little like taking steroids? I agree with Lester.
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They’re not allowing the use of these legs for the same reason we don’t allow the use of steroids or special shoes with springs…
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Ironically, given the challenges the guy faces, he may well have an unfair advantage. I can’t say the decision is irrational.
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#1: “Heartless twit.” I thought this thread was about me!
I never thought you were “heartless”.
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I would have to agree with the prohibition on the use of the prosthetic legs.
I am not sure how I would go as to some other type of prosthetics without the “unfair advantage” factor. I tend to think that running would sort of inherently require athletes woth actual OEM legs. But I haven’t worked through all the permutations/variations in my mind.
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A sport should not be about a person’s feelings. As others have pointed out, it’s about who, under equal (or nearly equal) conditions, can run the fastest. Why not let him compete in a motorized wheelchair that can outrun any human alive? That would obviously be unfair. So why let him use artificial limbs that scientists have determined give him an automatic advantage over others?
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I think we’re missing the forest for the trees here. Whether this particular ruling is right or not, it is an incredible blessing to mankind that prosthesis development has reached a stage where the question can even come up. Praise God for providing creativity and intelligence to the engineers and doctors who develop these devices.
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Good point, John M. I do think the ruling is a good and right one though. Kyle A says it well.
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Let him compete, but on a provisional basis—no medals, no records—and see what happens. He would have to qualify, just like any other athlete, with world class times in qualifying meets.
It could be a great encouragement to other handicapped people. Future games will not be inundated with handicapped athletes since the qualifying standards are very high for all athletes.
My goodness, if we can expand the Olympics to include skateboards and ping-pong, why not a few handicapped athletes?
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I think we ALL see the blessing in this athlete being able to compete through the miracle of science, John M, so I disagree with your notion that we’re not seeing the forest for all the trees.
This particular thread, however, is about whether or not this guy should be allowed to compete in Olympic events against other athletes who haven’t been “blessed” with similar devices.
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