Pistorius eligible for Olympics

Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius has won an appeal to compete for a place in the Beijing Olympics.

In January, athletics' governing body the IAAF banned the South African from able-bodied events.

It was claimed the 21-year-old's prosthetic limbs give him an unfair advantage, but he disagreed and went to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"I hope this silences the crazy theories circulating about my having an unfair advantage," said Pistorius.

Cas said in a statement that the IAAF had not proved competition rules had been contravened.

"On the basis of the evidence brought by the experts called by both parties, the panel was not persuaded that there was sufficient evidence of any metabolic advantage in favour of the double amputee using the Cheetah Flex-Foot," the statement said.

The panel emphasised that their verdict only applied to the individual case of the South African.

It was also stressed that any advancements in the prosthetic-limb technology used by Pistorius could be contested by the IAAF again.

"The panel does not exclude the possibility that, with future advances in scientific knowledge, and a testing regime designed and carried out to the satisfaction of both parties, the IAAF might in future be in a position to prove that the existing Cheetah Flex-Foot model provides Oscar Pistorius with an advantage over other athletes."

Pistorius is hoping to make the Olympic 'A' standard time of 45.55 seconds time for the 400m or the 'B' qualifier of 45.95 if no other athlete from his country attains the higher one.

His best time over the distance in 2007 was 46.56 and his personal best is 46.46.

The South African was born without fibulas - the long, thin outer bone between the knee and ankle - and was 11 months old when his legs were amputated below the knee.

He began running competitively four years ago to treat a rugby injury, and nine months later won the 200m at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. Nicknamed the "Blade Runner," Pistorius has set world records in the 100m, 200m and 400m in Paralympic events.

He finished second in the 400m at the South African national championships last year against able-bodied runners.

Pistorius added: "My focus throughout this appeal has been to ensure that disabled athletes be given the chance to compete and compete fairly with able-bodied athletes.

"I look forward to continuing my quest to qualify for the Olympics."

Source http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi...ics/7243481.stm

I had just read this article somewhere else and was getting ready to post here to see what others though of it. Personally, I dont agree with the ruling. I mean they have the Paralympics for a reason and if this person is now going to be able to technically compete (or tryout anyways) for both then whats to stop anyone from trying for a Paralympic spot forcing the IPC to lower minimum disability requirements? My fear is that you will have people trying to compete in both like this and there is a part of the olympics that is reserved specifically for amputees (paralympics). If the Paralympics didnt exist then I would be all for it, but where does it end with how many people will be competing in both and how long before minimum disabiliy requirements are lowered so that say someone that blew their knee out years ago and cant play at a competitive level in say Hockey or Basketball wont be dominating the sport of sled hockey or wheelchair basketball for example, leaving the rest of us with nowhere to turn?

Maybe I am just overreacting but when there is a place to compete such as the Paralympics, you are just asking for trouble when someone who competes in those now have to try and take a spoke in the Olympics as well.