Who cares about Oscar Pistorius??

Do you believe that he is responsible for high oil prices?

I agree. A number of college 400 guys have gone mid 46 or better this year, and more will do it over the next few weeks. There is no real discussion of going to the olympics for most of these guys. Of course, Oscar isn't trying to make the U.S. team, but as far as I know he hasn't even run close to the standard. I'm not knocking him or anything. He's done some impressive things. But I don't understand why he's such a topic of discussion when he will most likely never be more than an alternate on a non-contender relay team.

The issue has very little to do with Oscar, but whether his leg attachments violate the rules, by providing an advantage. Oscar hasn't been banned, just his cheetahs.

He actually possibly could make South Africa's 4x400 relay and run in the first round. Then we'll see how the back kick of his blades rips apart the shins of one of his rivals.

Everyone is aware that he's currently not fast enough to get a medal. The decision is disturbing because of the precedent it sets.

It makes for good tv time, and what if another "blade runner" comes along and runs 44 flat?

Dusty Bones wrote:

He actually possibly could make South Africa's 4x400 relay and run in the first round. Then we'll see how the back kick of his blades rips apart the shins of one of his rivals.

That also happens for able-bodied runners. It's called "getting spiked".

fUrCeOsNhN wrote:

It makes for good tv time, and what if another "blade runner" comes along and runs 44 flat?

The chance of this happening is less likely than the chance of a woman breaking the men's world 400 record. The next fastest double-amputee can't even break 50.

whoa.... wrote:

fUrCeOsNhN wrote:

It makes for good tv time, and what if another "blade runner" comes along and runs 44 flat?

The chance of this happening is less likely than the chance of a woman breaking the men's world 400 record. The next fastest double-amputee can't even break 50.

Wow...my respect for him just went way, way up!

whoa.... wrote:

The chance of this happening is less likely than the chance of a woman breaking the men's world 400 record. The next fastest double-amputee can't even break 50.

Sure, he can't run that fast now, but what happens when Pistorius gets version 2.0 of his blades? What happens when an able bodied 46 second guy shows up to run a race with a pair of blades extending just past his feet?

i think its more of this being the first time that a person like himself is getting to compete in the biggest meet in the world...yea he def. isnt going to win but i think its great if they decide to let him compete more power to him

Let remember that the implications of this decision have effects that extend far beyond the olympics. Most of us will never run at the olympics and it wouldn't effect any of us personally if oscar went on and won gold there.

but how would you feel about about a double amputee on blades taking away your medal at your conference meet, or even some guy in idaho winning state high school champs on blades.

It's true that a double amp will not likely come along and break the world record, but if next year a handful of them start running 48's or something, they could be taking medals away from many other people. Now, if it's determined that the blades are not advantageous, then that would be fine. But that's why it's important to figure it out.

He's the Deano of sprints.

I think part of the issue, clearly, is that once you start letting this happen, it's pretty obvious that devices that could create a 10-foot high jump and 32-foot long jump and 85-foot shot put are feasible. If you follow the "general interest" media coverage of this, they have no interest in the "level athletic playing field" aspect of this at all. They don't even talk about it.

He\\\'s right... they are slowly going to take over the world....we must rid the world of double amputees while there is still time.

I really don't care whether he competes at the Olympics or not. To me, the main thing is the precedent. A few years ago they passes a state law somehwere that forced high school athletics to allow a girl in a wheelchair to compete against able-bodied kids in track meets. THAT freaks me out. I just want them to make the right decision and not a PC one.

I just discovered that some of the people who care about Oscar Pistorius are the same people who would never have cared about track at all without him.

At dinner tonight my roommate's stepmother asked about "the guy without legs from Australia or something." We discussed the situation for a while, and I cleared up some misconceptions (he was thought to be a threat to medal) with my limited knowledge on the topic, that I have largely gathered from Letsrun.

There has got to be a way for this press to benefit the rest of the T&F community before the inevitability of them disallowing him from competition. Granted, if I knew what it was, I'd be cashing in already.

Casey Martin, a professional golfer with a circulatory disorder, qualified for the PGA Tour in 2000, and then filed suit against the PGA for not allowing him to use a golf cart to ride between holes on the tour. The case went to the US Supreme Court, where the considered whether the ADA protects access to professional golf tournaments by players and whether a competitor with a disability may be denied the use of a golf cart because it would change the "nature of the competition fundamentally."

Justice Stevens delivered the opinion of the Supreme Court, stating that he could use the cart.

How many of you have either heard of Casey Martin tearing up the tour lately, challenging Tiger Woods for the greatest golfer of the 21st Century, or have seen an influx of golfers undergoing self-inflicted injuries, disabilities, or diseases to gain the "advantage" that the "golf purists" claimed would come with this slippery slope decision.

Oscar Pistorius will make a splash, go away, and we will probably never see another case like this in track and field.

This kinda sums up my feelings on the whole situation...