Prosthetic-limbed runner disqualified from Olympics
Posted by 1337g33k on January 17, 2008
If this doesn’t sound like something straight out of a near-future scifi novel I don’t know what does…
“Oscar Pistorius, a double-amputee sprinter, has been denied a shot at
the Olympics… for being too fast. The runner — who uses
carbon-fiber, prosthetic feet — was reviewed by the International
Association of Athletics Federations (or IAAF), a review which found
the combination of man and machine to be too much for its purely human
competitors. According to the IAAF report, the “mechanical advantage of
the blade in relation to the healthy ankle joint of an able bodied
athlete is higher than 30-percent.” Additionally, Pistorius uses
25-percent less energy than average runners due to the artificial
limbs, therefore giving him an unfair advantage on the track… or so
they say. Oscar is expected to appeal the decision, saying a lack of
variables explored by the single scientific study calls for deeper
investigation into the matter. Our suggestion? Prosthetic legs for all!”
[Via Medgadget]
