On adjustable legs and the Olympics

ColinPowell · 03-09-2012, 07:35 PM

So, Oscar "Blade Runner" Pistorious is pissed that another athlete competing at the POlympics had an unfair advantage - simply by tuning his legs differently (in this case, making them longer).

I have very little sympathy for the guy; this argument is the exact same one I use when explaining why I don't think augmented people should be allowed to compete in the Olympics.

Read about it here and let me know what you think. Does Pistorious have a case in the POlympics? Is the irony so thick re: his competing with augmented legs in the Olympics that I can't even see my own hand? Or am I a horrible bigot?

Meathorse · 03-09-2012, 08:03 PM

*Second*

I always had a funny feeling about Oscar being able to compete in able-bodied events and this just shows that he's potentially just a few tweaks away from being very competitive and even world beating with little or even no physical improvement on his part.

Does this mean the ParOlympics are about to become another Formula1-like e-pen1s race and he's just annoyed that the other guy has a better mechanic?

I'm all for sportsmen and women competing on a level playing field - which by my standards means like-vs-like. Standardising any prostetics and able vs able and para vs equal para.

Disrespective · 03-09-2012, 08:41 PM

I don't really know the specifics but I thought there were rules in the PO to the effect (sort of) that you can't have a longer 'blade' leg than natural as it gives you more spring and you get the unfair advantage.

So, if a guy loses his legs and was 2m tall he gets longer blades than shorter guys, therefore giving him the same advantage as what he would have had naturally (Or close enough anyway).

It seems like this Oscar chap is maybe getting bummed over something that would have happened eventually anyway and he should just man up and work harder to win next time. He did get a silver medal and get to compete with able-bodied athletes. Some would say that that was a pretty good year...

SnoSalmon · 03-09-2012, 10:23 PM

Define para vs equal para...

I agree fully with ColPow and other comments here,

Kingy08 · 04-09-2012, 08:19 AM

This was just on TV. There are rules around it. I believe they take two measurements of the athlete (1 from elbow to hand and I think hip to knee) in order to find the maximum height of the blade.

Here's the thing though. Oscar is technically allowed to have 8cm longer blades than the other guy, but because he wanted to compete in the able-bodied olympics the IOC put in place a different limit for him (for the olympics). There is nothing stopping him using longer blades in the PO but he chooses not to.

varkk · 04-09-2012, 04:10 PM

He probably hadn't trained with the longer blades so the balance etc would be right off if he switched to them for the PO.

Geek4Life · 04-09-2012, 06:13 PM

I'm convinced that there is no better paralympic sport than Goalball.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goalball
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUvYT_RAaUk

Though I would like to see some amputee rhythmic gymnastics or synchro swimming.

ColinPowell · 05-09-2012, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geek4Life

I'm convinced that there is no better paralympic sport than Goalball.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goalball
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUvYT_RAaUk

Though I would like to see some amputee rhythmic gymnastics or synchro swimming.

Incredible.

Kingy08 · 05-09-2012, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geek4Life

I'm convinced that there is no better paralympic sport than Goalball.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goalball
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUvYT_RAaUk

Though I would like to see some amputee rhythmic gymnastics or synchro swimming.

I actually switched the TV over when this was on and got hooked. It's intense. Even a nil all scoreline at the end was epic.

Blind football is also fun to watch. It's crazy.