Pistorius's unfair advantage

Slideshowbob

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/david_epstein/11/19/oscar.pistorius/

Hmmmm - i always suspected this guy was getting unfair advantage!

Slideshowbob

Slideshowbob wrote: »

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/david_epstein/11/19/oscar.pistorius/

Hmmmm - i always suspected this guy was getting unfair advantage!

On further consideration i'd go as far as saying the sponsors who have backed him should now removed support for this chancer

EC1000

Slideshowbob wrote: »

On further consideration i'd go as far as saying the sponsors who have backed him should now removed support for this chancer

I think you're being incredibly harsh on someone who just wants to be the best they can - I think its a bit rich calling him a chancer, he didn't choose to be born without anylegs after all. OK, so its been proven that there is a technical advantage but you have admire him for getting to where he is. I would consider him an inspiration, not a chancer.

Slideshowbob

EC1000 wrote: »

I think you're being incredibly harsh on someone who just wants to be the best they can - I think its a bit rich calling him a chancer, he didn't choose to be born without anylegs after all. OK, so its been proven that there is a technical advantage but you have admire him for getting to where he is. I would consider him an inspiration, not a chancer.

I don't think I am being incredibly harsh - I found it ''incredible'' back when the powers that be deemed him to have no advantage against full bodied athletes.

OK - chancer may be a harsh term for him but he took a chance and reaped benefits.

Imagine how 'harsh' it was for people who raced against him while he had this unfair advantage while they wanted to be the best they could, but may have been beaten by him.

I always smelt a rat with this guy - sure he doesn't even look like the physique of runners that compete in the 400m - he looks like he is carrying too much bulk/fat.

The guy wants to be treated normal and compete in the regular Olympics so I am being as equally harsh as I would be with any able bodied athlete who takes certain advantages.

He would not be an inspiration to me.

We are going down a dangerous road if we start thinking athletes like this with prosthetics giving technical advantage can make them faster; all other things being equal; than able bodied people.

Remember, this is all within a sporting arena, not a technological one. Do we want to get to a place where an able bodied athlete might say that if I chopped off my legs and put on carbon fibre prosthetics I could shave further milliseconds off my time?!?

The governing bodies need to look at themselves in this case too. In a way, they mislead this guy and built his hopes up and the hopes of others like him.

And please don't play the 'slideshow bob hates disabled people' etc - I don't - I've done alot of voluntary work in my time in that area. The essence of my argument is fairness in sport, without that - sport is more entertainment than sport.

Irishathlete_1

I never really understood all the hype to be honest. They guy has never been anywhere near qualifying for a major championships. If he is shown to be gaining and artificial advantage, then he should not be allowed to compete. End of story.

What about Michael McKillop at the weekend? He is a paralympic athlete who is now making inroads in 'able bodied' athletics.

thirtyfoot

Irishathlete_1 wrote: »

I never really understood all the hype to be honest. They guy has never been anywhere near qualifying for a major championships. If he is shown to be gaining and artificial advantage, then he should not be allowed to compete. End of story.

What about Michael McKillop at the weekend? He is a paralympic athlete who is now making inroads in 'able bodied' athletics.

Yes, I agree with this and especially about Michael McKillop, its a great story!

mrak

Not the first time this has happened:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySgH3zN4AlQ