The Amazing Story of Oscar Pistorius

CAS, otherwise called The Court of Arbitration for Sport, had a major decision this past week. Oscar Pistorius of South Africa was born without any fibula's in his legs. At the age of 11 months, doctors amputated both legs below the knees.

So how does a amputee run without legs you ask? Well Oscar wears a set of carbon prosthetic running blades. You can see a picture and read an article about him here at this Web site. sports.espn.go.com

Oscar, who is 21 years old, plans to try to qualify in the 400 meter run in Olympics in Track and Field. He still has to qualify with a time of 45.55. That is the Olympic standard. However, he could be selected to run as a member of the 4 by 400 relay team without qualifying. that team has yet to qualify for the Olympics also.

Not only will Oscar be able to compete in the Beijing Olympics, he will also be able to participate later in the summer at the Paralympic games in September. Those games will also be held in Beijing on September 6-17.

How fast can Oscar run the 400 meter run? He currently holds the World Record at 46.56 for handicapped individuals. 43.18 is the current World Record held by Michael Johnson of the United States. It was set in August of 1999.

CAS meet this past week to decide if the amputee had an advantage because of his use of the carbon blades over other individuals. The International Association of Athletics Federation had previously placed a ban on Pistorius from competing against normal athletes. CAS overturned that ban this past week.

The IOC, International Olympic Committee welcomed the verdict and the IAAF has now done the same. The IAAF did not want to look like the bad guys by banning Oscar. However, they had to do it to be fair to the other athletes that participate. That is one of the main functions of the IAAF. Now that Oscar was cleared after the two day hearing by the CAS, they are happy to encourage him.

Oscar could make some substantial money this summer even if he doesn't qualify for the Olympics. He will be invited by Track and Field promoters to participate in his quest to qualify for the Olympics. Before Beijing, he will compete in Milan on July 2nd and in Rome at the Golden Gala Meet on July 11th.

When Oscar got the news, he cried. This is a great victory for handicapped individuals across the globe, he has told individuals.

When he appealed the ruling back on January 14th, his carbon blades had to be studied to see if they gave Oscar a mechanical advantage over normal runners. Independent research was done at MIT on whether Oscar did have an advantage over normal runners. MIT professor Hugh M. Herr concluded that Oscar did not have an advantage over others.

Oscar has been nicknamed the "Blade Runner'" because of his use of the Cheetah Flex- Foot..

The story doesn't end with Oscar either. US Track and Field is working with Nike in developing carbon sole-shoe implants. The shoe harnesses energy that is usually lost when the runner's foot pushes off. Americans used the shoes at the Sydney Olympics. So in a way, runners have already used a carbon type of aid in their running. Peter Vint who is a USOC sports technologist contends that it is a borderline case on whether it is legal to use the shoe. More information on this can be found at ESPN the Magazine.

The real argument could begin if Pistorius would win a medal or better yet set a World Record. The question would be, "Did he have an advantage?"

For right now Pistorius is happy. He will get his chance. Besides trying to qualify this year, he has set his sights on the next Olympics in 2012 to be held in London, England. He will only be 25 at that time. Will he have to wear the same set of blades or will technology advance that much farther by then?

The main question goes back to, "Is it fair?" Many athletes in baseball have Tommy John surgery to gain an advantage. The surgery strengthens the ligaments in the throwing arm. Tiger Wood had corrective surgery that many claim has helped his game. Anthony Gonzalez, who is a wide receiver for the Indianapolis Colts, sleeps in a hyperbaric chamber to improve his fourth quarter stamina.

In summary, Oscar went about it the correct way. He went through the appeals process. He had his blades checked out by the best technical institute in the world. He had his day in court. In a world where World Records and countless medal wins have went to those that cheat by using drugs, I salute Oscar Pistorius and look forward to watching him and the challenges that he will face in the next few years.

Sources:
http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/trackandfield/news/story?id=3398915
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3357051