I recently read a blog post about Adderall and if the unnecessary use of it is considered cheating. That made me think about Oscar Pistorius, also known as the "Blade Runner", a very fast man who was born without tibia bones. He now uses prosthetics (nicknamed "Cheetahs") to walk and run. After competing and receiving gold medals in the Paralympic Games, he decided that he wanted to compete in the Olympics. People said he had an unfair advantage because he was able to run without exerting as much energy as able-bodied competitors. This ruling was overturned and he is now training to compete for the South African team in London this summer for the Olympics.
I have done quite a bit of research on this subject since I heard about it and I personally do not think that he has an unfair advantage. He cannot start as quickly as competitors with legs and it takes him longer to accelerate to the same speed. What do you guys think? Do you think he has an unfair advantage? Or is he just an incredible athlete who has a technological advancement that levels the playing field?
Regardless of what you think, you have to admit, this guy is pretty inspiring:
Haneen, I agree with you completely. I simply cannot understand how onlookers can possess such ignorance towards a man who has overcome so much in his life. I watched a special on the use of prosthetics, and merely learning how to use prosthetic legs is a feat of its own. I also have done research on this topic for another class and have found the same results as you. The prosthetic legs create more of a disadvantage than an advantage. I know I will be rooting for Oscar when the Olympics roll around.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both posts and think that stories like this are incredible, especially reading something like this after posting about blind skiers. I have no idea of whether or not he truly has an advantage or disadvantage and i am not really concerned with that. However, I can't help but think about the direction of allowing the "blade runner" to compete in the olympics and how it could potentially be a dangerous thing. I think that Oscar Pistorius is incredible and I really am not trying to take away anything from him or athletes with similar disabilities, i just think it is a realistic concern about where the line will be drawn for athletes using prosthetics to compete in the olympics. There has to be a point where certain kinds of prosthetics are advantageous for these athletes and i am curious as to where this line will be drawn and how it will be decided.
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