Oscar Pistorius Qualifies for the Worlds–Despite Being Double Amputee or Because of Technology?
This past week, South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius ran 45:07 for the 400, which was fast enough to make him the first amputee to run a qualifying time for the World Championships.
It was an inspirational feat, and the video is worth watching.
I have no doubt that he has worked very hard to achieve amazing things. But part of me wonders about the technology involved.
There are some pretty serious scientists who are quite confident that Pistorius has benefited unfairly by the use of these high-tech, carbon fiber wonders.
In a story in South Africa’s Independent Online, sports scientist Ross Tucker is quoted as saying:
“I think the current evidence already suggests that he (Pistorius) has a significant advantage,” Tucker said over the weekend. “He keeps falling back on the CAS ruling, and telling people that the science has cleared him. “That is completely untrue. What has happened is the lawyers were able to clear him because the Court of Arbitration (CAS) process was flawed in that it did not allow all the science to be presented.”
Pistorius’ supporters often respond to these questions of whether the prosthetic legs give him an advantage as though they are personal attacks and not legitimate questions. If Pistorius was using a wheel chair in a distance race, no one would question that the wheel chair provided an unfair advantage.
However, for some reason, because he uses prosthetic limbs these questions are not acceptable.
As I stated earlier, I have no doubt that Pistorius has worked very hard and that he is a talented athlete. I do, however, believe the question of whether these prosthetic feet give him an unfair advantage is a legitimate one.
If you are interested in Ross Tucker’s detailed discussion of the science behind his opinion, then you should check out his lengthy analysis.