"The Fastest Thing on No Legs"

I was once again reading through International News when I found another article that peaked my interest. The media calls him the fastest thing on no legs or blade runner, some officials call him trouble, but to the rest of the world, he is Oscar Pistorius, the double amputee from South Africa who is making headlines and causing everyone to question their views on the integration of science and sports.

Oscar Pistorius had to have his legs amputated when he was eleven months old due to a congenital condition. As he grew older, he was introduced to sports and learned to play with prosthetics. In the 2004 paralympics, he won his first major competition in the 200m by not only beating single amputee runners, but also setting a world record time. This was the start for the legendary "Blade Runner." Pistorius went on to be very successful in other paralympic championship races, and was able to take part in his first able bodied race in 2007 at Rome's Golden Gala, where he finished second. Most recently, Pistorius has tried to make a bid for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was rejected.

Criticism of Pistorius has been around for almost his whole career. Though he has yet to set a record that challenges the records of "able-bodied" runners, critics have claimed that his prosthetic limbs give him an unfair advantage in races. The International Assoc. of Athletics Federation recently performed tests that concluded that Pistorius uses 25% less energy than other athletes running at the same speed. They also concluded that there was less vertical motion and 30% less mechanical work required to lift the body. Because of this, the IAAF has declared the prosthetics technical aids, so Pistorius will not be able to participate in any IAAF event, including the Olympics. These claims are combated by other researchers and supporters who claim that the prosthetics are a disadvantage to Pistorius under adverse weather conditions (rain, wind, etc) and Pistorius needs to use more energy at the start of every race to get the legs moving. As for Pistorius, he plans to appeal any ban that is placed on him.

The question is just how far can we let science influence sports? On the one hand, Pistorius' story is almost unheard of. He beat the odds and attained something that no one ever thought he could have. On the other, if this is allowed, why are performance enhancing drugs banned and where does it end? More importantly, are Pistorius and others like him who have beaten the odds forced into a subclass of athletes where they will never be acknowledged for not only their athletic abilities, but their determination in overcoming an obstacle that would prove too daunting for most other people?

Personally, it is hard not to have sympathy for Pistorius' case. However maybe it is all a question of the true spirit of the game, as subjective as that sounds. Pistorius loves to run and he loves sports. When it seemed that he could not have either, he did not give up, but strived to not only be able to play sports, but to play them well and competitively. But even Pistorius has said that if their is conclusive proof that the legs only offer advantages to him, he wouldn't want to compete anyway.

Despite the controversy and criticism, Pistorius will stand firm and fight the ban, not only for himself, but for all disabled athletes. As he said, "You're not disabled by the disabilities you have, you are able by the abilities you have."