farawaysaint
New member
- Oct 1, 2011
- 135
He's a double amputee ffs the able bodied athletes are perfectly capable of lobbing off their legs and getting metal ones if they like.
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Oscar Pistorius
- Thread starter mune ni kamome
- Start date
He's a double amputee ffs the able bodied athletes are perfectly capable of lobbing off their legs and getting metal ones if they like.
Silent Bob
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
- Dec 6, 2004
- 22,172
The obvious difference is that in cycling everyone rides a bike.
ifuhatepalacestandup
New member
the op has not said they do, he is saying what if someone invents some new spring type of leg , that are twice as fast as Bolt will runners want their legs cut off to win olympic gold
GingerBeerMan
3-0
- Dec 29, 2011
- 8,205
Basically Brightonlass2009 is saying "as long as they're not winning, it's fine". Which means as soon as they go quicker they'll be banned. So they can't win.
I know what you mean. Currently I'm of the view that I think it's brilliant that there are prosthetic limbs that allow a double amputee to compete in the Olympic games. If the technology improves so much that it gives him a definite advantage then I may change my mind, but there again I may still think that given a choice between an Olympic medal and real legs I'd choose the legs.
ifuhatepalacestandup
New member
yeah but what about if you lived in some windowless hovel in a shanty town in somalia (thats my worry about the whole issue)you allready get poor people selling internal organs for cash
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seagullsoverlincoln
New member
- Jul 14, 2009
- 521
i have complete respect and admiration for Pistorius...BUT... As somebody who watches quite a bit of live athletics I saw him perform at the Don Valley Stadium two or three years ago.It was a very high calibre field and firstly an up and coming faster British athlete had been dropped from the field as Pistorius puts bums on seats, and secondly,nobody cared about the outcome and competition of the race itself,as all eyes were watching the bladerunner,who finished near the back.That made him into a freak show. For him personally I wish him well,but I don't agree with him competing alongside able bodied athletes.
KZNSeagull
Well-known member
To kick someone faster out is not right to put bums on seats, but I don't see any problem with him competing at the Olympics against able-bodied athletes when he has qualified to do so and it has been proven that his blades do not give him an advantage. The Olympic motto this year is "inspire a generation". If he does not help to do that, I do not know what will.
Oscar Pistorius, has made history as the first double amputee to participate in a track event at the Olympic Games.
Pistorius, who bowed out of the 400m in the semi-finals having finished second in his heat, was overwhelmed by his Olympic experience and by the support he had received.
"This whole experience for me is something I've been struggling to find words to describe," he said as he was mobbed by journalists after his race. "Just being in the starting blocks, hearing the crowd and, once again, getting cramps in my cheeks - it's just been an unbelievable experience.
"I didn't come out here to prove a point, I came out here to do the best that I possibly can."
Accolades poured in for Pistorius on Sunday. "Oscar melts the hardest of hearts", said a headline in City Press newspaper, while the Sunday Independent awarded "An Oscar for gutsy Pistorius".
"It's been a battle of courts, minds and hearts," the newspaper reported, referring to the runner's challenges to reach the Olympics. He was cleared four years ago to run against able-bodied athletes when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned a ruling by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) that his blades gave him an unfair advantage.
The Sunday Times likened Pistorius to fellow South African Natalie du Toit, a single amputee who swam against able-bodied athletes in the Beijing Olympics. "These two great South Africans have done more than just compete at the highest level with great success. They have also redefined what it means to be 'disabled'."
"It is not exaggeration to say that they have forever changed the way the world views those who have lost one or both limbs," the paper said in an editorial.
On Monday, Pistorius tweeted "I woke up this morning overwhelmed by the 1000's of messages of well wishes. Thank You for making this 1 of the Greatest moments of my life!"
The 25-year-old will take part in the men's 4 x 400m relay heats on Thursday.
Was great to see him running the other day for the first time when he qualified from his first 200m race.
The only question I have about him competing against able-bodied folk, and the only 'advantage' he might have over them, is that it's obviously not possible for his calf muscles to tire or get injured. I'm sure most of the strain is on the quad muscles but can't see how it's not a small advantage to have that he can't suffer any fatigue/injury in the lower legs/ankles/feet.
Doesn't take away what truly inspiration man he is though.
The only question I have about him competing against able-bodied folk, and the only 'advantage' he might have over them, is that it's obviously not possible for his calf muscles to tire or get injured. I'm sure most of the strain is on the quad muscles but can't see how it's not a small advantage to have that he can't suffer any fatigue/injury in the lower legs/ankles/feet.
Doesn't take away what truly inspiration man he is though.
Perkino
Well-known member
- Dec 11, 2009
- 6,053
Looking at his size and physice, someone of similar shape wouldn't be able to run as fast as he can. therefore my only conclusion is that his springs give him some sort of advantage over us mere mortals
NickBHAFC18
New member
It doesn't give him too much of an advantage, especially at the start of the race he has no acceleration and gets completely left behind, its only in the full out sprint where he competes.
Yoda
English & European
It doe hurt the ends of his legs where they sit in the cup though.
If having these blades was equal to or better than having real legs you'd see a lot more amputees competing in able-bodied races. I'm 100% sure if this guy had real legs all his life he'd run quicker than he does now. If he can run the qualifying time then let him race.
It is a no win situation. If he was winning then questions would be asked about the prosthetics. They appear to have been signed off as giving no advantage but what if he were getting nearer the medals. What if different materials were used to provide better spring or even if they were marginally longer increasing the length of stride. Credit to him for what he has achieved but to be honest I do believe he shouldn't be competing with the other athletes.
Yeah that's what my thoughts are heading to be honest. He's achieved a massive amount to compete with these guys now, and that shoudn't ever be tarnished. But as you say, it's where this may lead to in the future with new technology/designs and what happens when someone with prosthetics does become the fastest in the world.
Hatterlovesbrighton
something clever
Not neccesarily true. The number of persons able to compete at Paralympic sport is much less than for Olympic Sport and so its not exactly suprising that only the very best at the top of his game has got close to elite level. The competiton level in the Paralympics will be much less. I'd imagine the spread in the 100m final for the paras will see the finalist finish within about 3 seconds of each other rather than the 0.5 of a second last night. A big difference.
IMO I think he has an advantage. The CAS panel said that the authorities hadn't proved that he had an advantage, rather than Pistorious proving that he didn't. The IAAF then had to make a decision about whether it was worth spending lots of money and losing lots of goodwill in getting the proof. If he was winning golds or breaking records then maybe it would be worth it, but at the level he is competing it isnt
Rich Suvner
Skint years RIP
I don't think we can be certain the artifical legs don't provide an advantage - for example, we can be 100% sure anyone using them doesn't suffer any muscular complaints during a race in their calfs and ankles.
Perhaps the next generation of individuals using these will significantly outperform Pistorius?!
I have doubts about the fact artificial limbs provides a totally even playing field.
It does indeed. No way he should be allowed to compete except in the para-olympics.
Next there'll be someone with prosthetic arms in the rowing.
Yeah that might be true, but my point was that surely if prosthetic limbs give an advantage (or at least make the performance equal to what it would be) we'd see more amputees competing (or at least trying to) against able-bodied athletes, running/throwing/jumping/etc the qualifying standards. I personally can't see how it's deemed beneficial to have a single 'blade' rather than an entire leg, with multiple muscles... that's just my view though.
Maybe, as some have already said, in the future technology might improve so that prosthetics do give an advantage, but at the moment I don't think they do.
Indurain's Lungs
Legend of Garry Nelson
Couple of articles that dig down into the evidence - I think he probably does have an advantage but its so inspiring for people to see him there that his presence is a good thing. Although, the person who missed out on an olympics place because of him probably begs to differ.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/olympics/2012/writers/david_epstein/08/03/oscar-pistorius-london-olympics/index.html
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2012/08/london-2012-pistorius-and-unfair.html