45.55 Seconds!
That is what stands between an Olympian and his shot at history in Beijing.
The Olympian is Oscar Pistorius; the history will be supplied in the fact that he is a double-amputee.
After a ruling by the IAAF which stated that his carbon fiber blades gave him an unfair advantage in an able bodied race, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has overturned that verdict. The CAS states that the IAAF had not fully proven a link between a physical advantage and the runners’ Cheetah Flex-Foot blades.
In January, the IAAF based its decision primarily on the studies of Gert-Peter Brueggemann, a German professor who stated that the J-shaped blades gave a distinct advantage due to their energy efficiency.
Upon learning of the ruling Pistorius had this to say, "When I found out, I cried. It is a battle that has been going on for far too long. It's a great day for sport. I think this day is going to go down in history for the equality of disabled people."
So now it comes to this, Pistorius will race in Rome at the Golden Gala. He will compete in the individual 400m, where he will have to meet the qualifying time of 45.55 seconds in order to represent his native South Africa at the Beijing Games.
"Oscar will be welcomed wherever he competes this summer," IAAF president Lamine Diack said in a statement. "He is an inspirational man and we look forward to admiring his achievements in the future."
This statement is a sharp contrast to the views of the IAAF back in January. However it is an appropriate statement given today’s standards in sports.
In a time where fans are left to question whether the ability behind our athletes’ performances or God-given or made in a laboratory, it is nice to see a man who just wants to run.
For Oscar Pistorius, it is about chasing a dream to be an Olympian no matter what the odds were against it becoming a reality. It is a dream he says will continue on to the London Games in 2012, and beyond.
The question in many minds does still remain; do the blades give this man a distinct advantage? It is a difficult question to answer as one can see both sides of the argument. On one hand you have a man born with no legs attempting to compete in a sport where they are unequivocally essential. One the other you have a person competing with “legs” designed to both bounce and spring forward, allowing for great velocity behind your motion.
The Beijing Games are within his reach now, seeming closer than the dream ever was.
All that stands in his way after winning an appeal he fought so hard for, are 45.55 seconds.
It is few precious seconds that for him will feel like an eternity.
That is what stands between an Olympian and his shot at history in Beijing.
The Olympian is Oscar Pistorius; the history will be supplied in the fact that he is a double-amputee.
After a ruling by the IAAF which stated that his carbon fiber blades gave him an unfair advantage in an able bodied race, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has overturned that verdict. The CAS states that the IAAF had not fully proven a link between a physical advantage and the runners’ Cheetah Flex-Foot blades.
In January, the IAAF based its decision primarily on the studies of Gert-Peter Brueggemann, a German professor who stated that the J-shaped blades gave a distinct advantage due to their energy efficiency.
Upon learning of the ruling Pistorius had this to say, "When I found out, I cried. It is a battle that has been going on for far too long. It's a great day for sport. I think this day is going to go down in history for the equality of disabled people."
So now it comes to this, Pistorius will race in Rome at the Golden Gala. He will compete in the individual 400m, where he will have to meet the qualifying time of 45.55 seconds in order to represent his native South Africa at the Beijing Games.
"Oscar will be welcomed wherever he competes this summer," IAAF president Lamine Diack said in a statement. "He is an inspirational man and we look forward to admiring his achievements in the future."
This statement is a sharp contrast to the views of the IAAF back in January. However it is an appropriate statement given today’s standards in sports.
In a time where fans are left to question whether the ability behind our athletes’ performances or God-given or made in a laboratory, it is nice to see a man who just wants to run.
For Oscar Pistorius, it is about chasing a dream to be an Olympian no matter what the odds were against it becoming a reality. It is a dream he says will continue on to the London Games in 2012, and beyond.
The question in many minds does still remain; do the blades give this man a distinct advantage? It is a difficult question to answer as one can see both sides of the argument. On one hand you have a man born with no legs attempting to compete in a sport where they are unequivocally essential. One the other you have a person competing with “legs” designed to both bounce and spring forward, allowing for great velocity behind your motion.
The Beijing Games are within his reach now, seeming closer than the dream ever was.
All that stands in his way after winning an appeal he fought so hard for, are 45.55 seconds.
It is few precious seconds that for him will feel like an eternity.
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