He is a lot faster than everyone else on the straightaway. If he ran the 400 in a straight line against Michael Johnson in his prime, MJ would lose, by a few seconds.
He is a lot faster than everyone else on the straightaway. If he ran the 400 in a straight line against Michael Johnson in his prime, MJ would lose, by a few seconds.
The Quenton Cassidamius wrote:
At what point would you draw the line? What if an able bodied person designed mechanisms that made them faster? It is just not fair for him to compete with them. Which is unfortunate because he really has inspired many.
Yes- think about those shoes a few years back (Spira?) that were banned. This is a situation like that. In his case, he's not gonna win a medal but if someone does, someday, it could be trouble. Athletes take PED's to get better and they cause long term health damage.
Three scientific studies have addressed the question of whether the blades provide an advantage. Sorry, I don't have time to provide the citations, but if you're interested/diligent you can search them out. Here is my summary. First study said yes, they return more energy than he expends; second said no, and on that basis he was allowed into open competitions. Third validated the first, and pointed out flaws in the second. Best evidence is that the blades provide an unfair advantage, ergo, he should not be allowed in open competitions. End of story.
toro wrote:
The IAAF has ruled that he can compete.
There are advantages and disadvantages to his situation.
Don't know if there is a net advantage but he is different.
Best to err on the side inclusion than exclusion.
They could always DQ him later like Ramzi.
Amen to that. "Innocent until proven guilty," I say.
Malamute wrote:
This is not meant to sound mean, but here is the way I think of it.
Have you ever had tight calves that have prohibited you from training? Have your calves ever felt fatigued after a race? If you do too much training, do you get overuse injuries in your feet or shins? Oscar cannot have that happen to him, which gives him a potential advantage that others cannot reasonably attain. Additionally, his prostheses can be fine tuned for optimal performance, whereas we are "stuck" with the anatomy and tissue biomechanics we are born with.
I think Oscar is a great ambassador for the sport, has tremendous natural talent, and has probably put in a ton of work to get where he is. He also has some major disadvantages in having the disability he has since he was a child. I am indeed for inclusive sports and education. But it is not fair to overlook the advantages he has from a mechanics standpoint.
The media recently had a story about how he missed the qualifying requirement in his most recent race (after achieving the A standard one), by only a quarter of a second. So many people in the mainstream would think that is a petty issue, but that is like me saying I missed OT's by less than two seconds (for the 100m...) - it doesn't sound like much to non-track fans, but it really is. He is being held to a different standard, and that is fine for now, but where does one draw the line? What if he had achieved the B standard, but not the A - would SA petition for an exception for him?
I feel giving him special treatment just creates a very slippery slope...
As a previous thread discussed, the universe is expanding. So some day this world and everything in it is going to be torn apart into nothing.
So what does it matter.
Oscar running in this Olympics DOESN'T MATTER in the grand scheme of things.
Fair to able bodied athletes?
That doesn't matter.
The fact that he might inspire thousands of amputee kids around the world...
That could matter. For awhile.
I am thrilled.
Track should be thrilled. More headlines here than when almost anything (except a 100m tie) happens in track.
The other 400 runners should be thrilled. More will watch their races and become their fans thanks to the attention this brings. How many folks outside the track world would know anything about Jenny Meadows if it were not for Caster?? Few. And in this case those gaining fame will beat Oscar. He is amazing, and nowhere close to the top runners like LaShawn, Kirani, etc.
The Quenton Cassidamius wrote:
I really think that he is a good guy and has an incredible story but he should not be allowed. Athletics tests the limits of the human body and he has a clear mechanical advantage. His machined legs are not part of the human body and give him an unfair advantage. I realize that he uses them because of his birth defect but he is still using them to beat guys running with legs that they were born with. At what point would you draw the line? What if an able bodied person designed mechanisms that made them faster? It is just not fair for him to compete with them. Which is unfortunate because he really has inspired many.
This. Unfortunately political correctness dictates that anyone who objects to him competing is a douche. I remember when I wrestled seeing amputee wrestlers that had a clear advantage too. A 185 pound torso wrestling 138lb weight class. In the big picture it doesn't matter I guess. There are all kind of mechanical aids PEDs slippery swim suits yada yada yada that are not allowed but we should always allow for a feel good story. I say all this and yet I am a fan of this guy....
Marla Runyon did not have any suspected advantages of any sorts in Olympic-level distance events.
Jim Abbott did not have any suspected advantages in major league baseball.
Deaf football players have not had any suspected advantages in the NFL.
Unfortunately, Oscar has a suspected advantage in track, and two out of three research studies have apparently supported this.
To minimize advantages, prostheses used in athletics should be regulated to have the same mass and biomechanical characteristics (and maybe even aerodynamic, although that may or may not be a non-factor at those speeds) as the human body, as best as possible. Otherwise, what is not to say that a amputee high jumper could have an ultra-lightweight spring-loaded prosthesis which gives a clear advantage in the high jump?
I am not against him competing with non-disabled athletes per se, but there must be rules and regulations to define what provides an advantage. This unfortunately gets very messy, as we see with the doping issues, but without having some preset rules in place, anything can happen.
I am not saying Oscar is currently cheating, but steps need to be taken to ensure that the field is as level as possible.
Actually, the answer is simple.
He didn't meet South African Olympic qualifying standard. Maybe he can run the relay, but not the 400m.
Regarding an advantage, there can be no doubt the blades provide him an advantage. IAAF scientists showed it, as well as Pistorius' own scientists. On the basis of the IAAF scientists findings, the IAAF ruled he couldn't compete with his carbon fiber springs. However, in a dubious legal maneuver, Pistorius' defense team managed to conceal some of the findings of their own scientists (who also found an advantage, but disagreed about the source of the advantage), and the CAS overturned the IAAF ruling, based on evidence that contradicted the IAAF's evidence. This concealed report was published 1 year later, after the CAS ruling.
yes
He ran in the World Championships last year so the precedent has already been set.
IAAF and IOC has determined him eligible.
SA has now said they are naming him to the team.
So those in authority have already answered the question.
No athletes are protesting and I have no protest with this.
Initially I had concern because of everything metioned but have come around on it.
No harm will come from this.
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