Oscar Pistorius, the South African paralympic runner, has won a major victory with the Court of Arbitration for the Olympic Games. Pistorius’ name may not be familiar to you, but his nicknames might be. Sometimes called the “Blade Runner” or “The Fastest Man on No Legs,” Pistorius arrived on this planet with a birth defect that necessitated the amputation of his lower legs when he was still an infant.
He has spent his entire life staying ahead of the game. Pistorius runs with specialized carbon-fiber Cheetah Flex-Foot prosthetic legs/feet, sometimes called “paddle-foot” design. The springy nature of the design of the foot and ankle area gave rise to the opinion that this artificial foot and ankle design meant that Pistorius needed less energy to run, and therefore had an advantage over non-disabled runners. The German Sports Authority presented their findings at a January, 2008 hearing that led to the original ban on Pistorius’ participation in Olympic-level running competitions.
A second study by MIT researchers concluded that the artificial foot did not give Pistorius any advantage over non-disabled runners, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport determined that Pistorius was eligible to compete.
He isn’t quite fast enough to qualify to sprint for Beijing (he is shy by about a second), but he may still run with the South African relay team. He has plans to train for the London Olympics in 2012, as well as competing in international competitions between now and then.
If you’ve never seen Pistorius in action, I highly recommend a quick search of YouTube for video of his incredible speed and athleticism. Science has come a long way from the wooden leg of only a few years ago.