Amputee Selected for Olympics in 4x400: Fair?

by Fef Posted 2012/07/04 14:06:46

Related Topics: Olympics, Olympic Games, Games, Oscar, International, Action, Africa, 2012, Game, 2008, London, Body, Court, UK, Critics, Sport

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51 votes
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	Yes	35 votes	69%
	No	16 votes	31%

Oscar Pistorius will compete as the as the first amputee track athlete at the 2012 Summer Olympic games. Pistorius earned the nickname "Blade Runner" because Pistorius runs on carbon fiber blades.

Critics of Pistorius claim that he has an unfair advantage because of artificial body parts. The spring action and extension of his legs give him a boost that other runners don't have. The International Association of Athletics Federations ruled Pistorius couldn't compete in its 2008 competitions because of his "Cheetah" bio-mechanics according to iafrica.com. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport overruled the IAAF.

Pistorius, a 25-year-old from South Africa, had both his legs amputated at the young age of 11 years old due to congenital absence of his fibula.
APNEWS.MYWAY.COM reports:Double-amputee runner Oscar Pistorius is going to the London Olympics after being selected for South Africa's 1,600-meter relay team.
Oscar Pistorius Olympics

+10

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kidkewlsgirl8888 2012/07/04 14:32:40

Yes

+5
seriously? he has no feet how is that an advantage? >.<
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More polls by Fef

YOUR EARTH ANGEL'S REDEMPTION 2012/07/13 04:54:54

Yes

i think anybody that's had their legs amputated deserves a freakin break!!! let him win as many as he can!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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sally 2012/07/06 07:59:46

Yes

If he's fast then let him in.

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gvc 2012/07/06 02:57:53

No

+1
Spring action and leg extensions? He should participate in games with people who have the same equipment he has.

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cmdrbnd007 2012/07/06 02:22:59

Yes

Wait a minute, let me see if I've got this straight. Some organization was saying the guy without legs has an unfair advantage? Good grief. Good luck Oscar.

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Schläue~© 2012/07/05 21:45:33

Yes

+1
They also ruled he could compete in the solo 400m.

Does anyone really think any other runner has trained harder and deserves a shot more?

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BIG BAD JOHN R. 2012/07/05 15:05:02

No

+1
NOT FAIR! He has a unfair advantage!

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ParkMan 2012/07/05 04:10:09

No

+1
The Olympics is a competition where the most minute difference can give one athlete an advantage over another.

It seems that opening the door to prosthetics in the olympics can end up giving someone like the person here an undue advantage.

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ScatterJoy! 2012/07/04 23:15:02 (edited)

No

+2
True, he has no feet, but there must be something about those carbon fiber blades that give him an advantage.

Isn't that the whole point behind special olympics - people with "disabilities" (although, with this guy, it's like a super-bility) can compete together?

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Don Leuty 2012/07/04 21:18:03

No

+1
The Olympiad is to put man against man, not man against machine.

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Mark 2012/07/04 20:40:00

Yes

+1
This is old hat. He has competed against normal athletes before. The last one, he came last, so not much of an advantage in that race. Might have been commonwealth games.

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Q 2012/07/04 20:38:14

No

+1
I thought they were ineligible because of the advantage their blades give them? Don't get me wrong its a great story for a double amputee to recover and get a chance to run in the Olympics but I'm not too sure about the precedent this might be setting.

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Gwen 2012/07/04 19:21:46

Yes

+2
seems like just unique shoes......

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Rubyking 2012/07/04 18:45:36

No

this isn't a yes or no question.

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Keeping It Real 2012/07/04 18:31:41

Yes

+2
As long as he's up to the task!

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Che Guevara - Hero 2012/07/04 18:18:37

Yes

Awesome ! I hope his team wins !

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☥☽✪☾DAW... to Che Gue... 2012/07/04 19:11:04

+1
an effigy of President Obama was knocked around by a bull and then kicked by a rodeo clown.
http://www.arktimes.com/Arkan...

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☥☽✪☾DAW... to Che Gue... 2012/07/04 19:30:17 (edited)

+1

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nightcrawler2005 2012/07/04 17:00:27

No

+4
Sorry. I don't agree. He should be in the Paralympics. What next fully mechanical legs that can do 180 mph. Their starting to go down that slippery slope. I wish him well but I don't think he should be able to compete in the Olympics.

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gregaj7 2012/07/04 16:51:49

Yes

+2
Should be interesting.
I thought the "Para-Olympics" were for that sort of issue?

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frank 2012/07/04 16:21:04

No

+1
I am really undecided, I'm not sure that the carbon fiber blades do or do not give an unfair advantage to the runner. Only for that reason only I voted no.

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Sinister Ken Doll™ 2012/07/04 16:18:00

Yes

+4
he qualified, he gets to go
i can't believe having a disability would register as 'cheating'

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Raphy 2012/07/04 15:33:48

Yes

+4
I don't think it is going to give him much of an advantage over the other guys. More power to him.

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Ken 2012/07/04 15:19:59

Yes

+4
I'm sure he would trade the blades for his legs. It is amazing how the mind controls the body.

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Alien Ramone 2012/07/04 14:53:55

Yes

+3
As long as all the other runners are allowed to use those same types of leg attachments if they want to also.

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Sister Jean 2012/07/04 14:34:48

Yes

+4
OK

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kidkewlsgirl8888 2012/07/04 14:32:40

Yes

+5
seriously? he has no feet how is that an advantage? >.<

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Cunning Stunts 2012/07/04 14:31:24

Yes

+3
I hope he wins.

Welcome to the forerunner of transhumansism. Might as well get used to it now.

Tachikomatic Days, I applaud you.

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Rogue_L... to Cunning... 2012/07/04 14:34:45
Cunning... to Rogue_L... 2012/07/04 14:48:55

+1
If there is a watchmaker then why don't it fix the watch?

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Tasine to Cunning... 2012/07/04 14:41:42

+2
I hope he outruns everybody there!! Big time!!

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Rogue_L... to Tasine 2012/07/04 14:50:19
Cunning... to Tasine 2012/07/06 17:31:46

I don't see any more controversy in this than when us Aussies used the Spedo body condom technique in swimming.

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Tasine to Cunning... 2012/07/06 18:55:00

I don't know whether to rave or ignore. Not being interested in athletics, I'm so out of the loop that I don't even know what the Spedo body condom technique is! Help me out here, O.K.?

reply
Rogue_Loner 2012/07/04 14:30:30
Brosia 2012/07/04 14:23:05

Yes

+3
He had to work harder than everyone else in the race to qualify. They did tests and the "advantage" he gets is the same as a younger man running against a slightly older man. It is no real advantage, and, hello, balance is a major issue as he is working with a few less joints than the regular runners. Screw the critics!!!!

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Tasine 2012/07/04 14:21:05

Yes

+3
How anyone could complain about this I will never understand.

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Rogue_L... to Tasine 2012/07/04 14:31:37 (edited)
Tasine to Rogue_L... 2012/07/04 14:38:05

+1
Ah, yes. I see.

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Linkums 2012/07/04 14:19:30

No

+2
Everyone should be working with the same "equipment".

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Brosia to Linkums 2012/07/04 14:25:01

+2
Then give him new joints, which assist in balance, that he no longer has. He has no advantage over the other runners, he just looks different.

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