Blade Runner Banned from Olympics

[Dave]

What are your views on this controversy?
BBC SPORT | Olympics & Olympic sport | Athletics | 'Blade Runner' handed Olympic ban

Paralympic 400m star Oscar Pistorius, known as the 'Blade Runner' has failed in his bid to compete at this year's Olympic Games in Beijing because his "Cheetah prosthetic" contravene rules on technical aids, allowing him to run as fast as other runners but using less energy.

I heard an interview with a Paralympic wheelchair champion on BBC Radio 4 (I think it was Dave Weir) and even he was torn on the decision. Clearly, Pistorius does have an unfair advantage over the regular athletes, but this guy has no legs below the knees, and yet he can still win races against the best in the world!!

Whenever I heard this story on the news today, I kept thinking of the intro to The Bionic Man TV series: "Gentlemen we can rebuild him make him stronger,faster..." I never expected that could actually become true in my lifetime.

[Harpo]

Reminds me of Aimee Mullins, who is also a fashion model as well as an athlete

[dustinzgirl]

Level playing fields are boring, but I think he should race against others with bionic legs or get the other athletes bionic legs. Now that would be cool.

And I think Beijing itself should be banned from the Olympics.

[YuYus dumber Brother]

Why do you say he "clearly" has an advantage Dave?
The 'energy' stored in the blades is what he has to put in himself.
The only reason why his back 200 is faster than the front is because at start of race he is a bit wobbly and battles to get on balance.
This is the same as me refusing to armwrestle someone who lost an arm and has prostethic arm now.
I cannot imagine that the athletes feel threatened by him. i mena his time are quite far off the top runners.

[Locksmith]

Originally Posted by YuYus dumber Brother

Why do you say he "clearly" has an advantage Dave?

Well, if you read the article it says that "A scientific study revealed that Pistorius, nicknamed "Blade Runner", used 25% less energy than able-bodied runners to run at the same speed." In my mind that's an unfair advantage.

It's also interesting that this isn't a one way ban:
BBC SPORT | OTHER SPORTS | Sadler's sit-down protest

[Dave]

Originally Posted by YuYus dumber Brother

Why do you say he "clearly" has an advantage Dave?

They set up a scientific study headed by this Professor Peter Bruggemann to determine it, and it concluded that he used used 25% less energy than able-bodied runners to run at the same speed. I appreciate that he is going to contest that decision, and I know very little about it myself, but the study panel seems fairly well qualified to make that decision.

One of the reasons I made this thread was because I know very little about it and was curious to hear what others thought. If you don't agree, I'd like to know more so I can understand it myself.

Originally Posted by dustinzgirl

Level playing fields are boring.

I think there is a big problem in Athletics today with all these technicalities. You run with a head wind your record is null and void. You do high altitude training, that is acceptable. You use steriods, you get banned. You use some enhancing drugs, you get banned, you use others, they are okay. You have special running shoes, that is acceptable, you have prosthetic legs, you get banned.

[dustinzgirl]

Originally Posted by Dave

They set up a scientific study headed by this Professor Peter Bruggemann to determine it, and it concluded that he used used 25% less energy than able-bodied runners to run at the same speed. I appreciate that he is going to contest that decision, and I know very little about it myself, but the study panel seems fairly well qualified to make that decision.

One of the reasons I made this thread was because I know very little about it and was curious to hear what others thought. If you don't agree, I'd like to know more so I can understand it myself.
I think there is a big problem in Athletics today with all these technicalities. You run with a head wind your record is null and void. You do high altitude training, that is acceptable. You use steriods, you get banned. You use some enhancing drugs, you get banned, you use others, they are okay. You have special running shoes, that is acceptable, you have prosthetic legs, you get banned.

There are a lot of technicalities. I don't watch a lot of athletic sports, but I do watch a lot of racing (dirt, NASCAR, road courses, we're not picky) and I've noticed how much it has changed since I was a kid, back in the Richard Petty days, now there are so many odd rules and the standard forms of the cars make it not only boring, but all the same, all the time. Also, I used to love watching UFC back in the Tank Abbot and Gracie days, but now they have rules.....why the heck would UFC have rules? Thats dumb. LOL. I could go on and on, but it basically boils down to people having a need for fairness. People are becoming whiners. I don't see Blade Runner whining because he has no freaking legs, why is everyone else whining becuase he has fake legs? Of course he uses less energy--HE HAS NO LEGS!!

[Connavar]

I agree fully with those that banned him.

No point in sport competions if people dont compete on the same conditions.

Its NOT fair to others that he can save more energy, then they have a big handicap against him.

[Sephiroth]

Ah. I understand why they have done it, I suppose......but I'm disappointed.



The guy can't race with other disabled athletes because he is far too fast for them.

Now he can't race with able-bodied athletes either.


What is he supposed to do? It seems unfair.


Besides which, however much these studies may conclude that he has a technical advantage, as YuYu mentioned, his times are currently quite a bit off the pace of the fastest runners.

And I saw him race in the rain.....his blades can't grip in the wet, and he really struggles.

So that's a disadvantage to put up against this perceived 'advantage'.


As I say, I can sort of understand the decision, but I'm disappointed, both for him, and for me, because I'd love to have seen him being given the chance to compete with the best in the world.



I don't think it gives him the advantage that they say it does, in practice, all things taken into account.



And athletes are not competing under the same conditions anyway, since half of them are on drugs.

[Connavar]

Those drug users arent athletes, specially those americans who break records and wins Olympics then get busted.....



It never rains in summer competions like Olympics and if it does they wait until the weather is better.


I think those that banned him and said he has too much advantage knows better than us.

[Overread]

Its just an idea - but the blades he uses to run on are optimised for running; there whole design is based on this fact. Now a 25% advantage is due to these blades alone - so could they not be redesigned to allow a reduction in thier effectivness?
Granted this means he is going to have to work harder - but it would let him compete in the race -- the challenge then would be to some how ensure that the redesign did not then put him at a disadvantage.

[Tillane]

Originally Posted by Overread

Its just an idea - but the blades he uses to run on are optimised for running; there whole design is based on this fact. Now a 25% advantage is due to these blades alone - so could they not be redesigned to allow a reduction in thier effectivness?
Granted this means he is going to have to work harder - but it would let him compete in the race -- the challenge then would be to some how ensure that the redesign did not then put him at a disadvantage.

Heard a discussion on 5Live about that very idea yesterday. Apparently it's one option Pistorius is looking into if his appeal/re-test fails. His representative (can't remember the guy's name) made it very clear that Pistorius wouldn't want to run against able-bodied athletes if it was proved that the blades do give him an unfair advantage; he actively wants a level playing field because he wants to prove himself against the top able-bodied athletes. I really hope they can find a way for him to do so, because he's an amazing bloke - particularly when you consider that he's still only 21.

[Delvo]

Originally Posted by YuYus dumber Brother

The 'energy' stored in the blades is what he has to put in himself.

The point is not that they create energy, but that they give it back into the following step. It's what springs and elastic things do. Human legs are not very springy/elastic, which is not as good for running or jumping but is better for stablity, long-distance walking, weight-carrying, and low energy usage at low speeds or when standing still.

[tangaloomababe]

Originally posted by Dave

Whenever I heard this story on the news today, I kept thinking of the intro to The Bionic Man TV series: "Gentlemen we can rebuild him make him stronger,faster..." I never expected that could actually become true in my lifetime

Yes Dave it is truely remarkable what can be achieved. This man has worked hard both physically and mentally and is a fine athlete.

Yet I have to agree if it has been proven that he has an unfair advantage over able bodied athletes then he should not be allowed to compete. Then again don't drugs give some able bodied competitors unfair advantages (ok lets not open that can of worms)

[Cayal]

Originally Posted by dustinzgirl

There are a lot of technicalities. I don't watch a lot of athletic sports, but I do watch a lot of racing (dirt, NASCAR, road courses, we're not picky) and I've noticed how much it has changed since I was a kid, back in the Richard Petty days, now there are so many odd rules and the standard forms of the cars make it not only boring, but all the same, all the time. Also, I used to love watching UFC back in the Tank Abbot and Gracie days, but now they have rules.....why the heck would UFC have rules? Thats dumb. LOL. I could go on and on, but it basically boils down to people having a need for fairness. People are becoming whiners. I don't see Blade Runner whining because he has no freaking legs, why is everyone else whining becuase he has fake legs? Of course he uses less energy--HE HAS NO LEGS!!

That was a pretty irrelevant post.

They are not whining because he has fake legs, they are whining because it is essentially cheating. A more visual form of drug taking if you will. It is performance enhancing and illegal.

How would you feel running a race and knowing your opponent has taken steroids or HGH.
How would you feel if you were doing a test and someone in your class has half the answers worked out for them, while you must do it all yourself?