I was pleased to hear that South African athlete Oscar Pistorius has won his appeal to be allowed to compete against able bodied athletes for a place in the Beijing Olympics. I'm pleased because I think that if he can make the qualifying time, which he so far has been unable to do, then he should definitely be allowed to race. There are others however, who think that it's unfair to people with feet if he runs against them.The debate seems to revolve around whether he's disabled or augmented.
If he's disabled and his carbon fibre blades are helping him to achieve speeds and times that he may well have achieved had he been born with feet, then fine, he's an elite athlete and has every right to make a bid for Olympic glory.
On the other hand, if he's augmented and his blades improve his performance and give him an advantage against able bodied runners, then no, he shouldn't go to Beijing.
Personally, it seems to me that the IAAF, the body that governs world athletics, are out to get the Blade Runner and stop him competing no matter what. I hope he gets to China and wipes the fucking floor with the competition!
6 comments:
Unless his blades make him run at 80mph like the bionic man I can't see what the problem is - let him compete.
This argument revolves around whether or not these blades are better than legs/ankles/feet. Problem is how you prove whether or not they are better performing than said parts?
Now lets take for example our host "the boy inch" - Douglas Badder has better legs than him so this is would therefore be deemed an unfair advantage and therefore blade runner can "do one". However on the other hand if you compare these blades to yours truly's athletic pieces of meat then it is highly unlikey that the poor fellow could ever come up to scratch!
So where does the argument end? Probably with the fact that at the moment he gets stuffed everytime he comes up against a national / eurpoean / american or world class athlete. So let him run and then the interest will die down. On the other hand what if one day dotor frankinstine comes forward with new fangled strap on legs and he suddenly starts winning?
So no answers then - just shoot the bugger and be done with it.
Like you, I can see both sides of the argument.
I also think - good for him!! he isn't sitting at home crying into his porridge about having no legs..he's up and running. Very cool. Technology is very cool.
Listen Lump, I've seen your legs way more times than I really ought to have, and calling them 'athletic pieces of meat' is stretching the truth almost to breaking point! Even your wife laughs at them!
thats not my legs she's laughing at
He hasn't any legs therefore he competes in the disabled Olympics. If his false leg design is so advanced he stuffs other disabled athletes then they'd better get a set too.
He should be supported 'cause he's got the guts to go out and try.
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