"Cheater" Blades

I hope this doesn't come across as cruel. Then again, lobbying against a double-amputee at face value will seem cruel to almost anyone with a soul. In the case of sprinter Oscar Pistorius, however, I believe it's warranted.

Despite his absolutely breathtaking physical accomplishments, I simply cannot support Pistorius's present plight -- attempting to earn a spot in the 2008 Beijing Olympics on the South African track and field team. While human nature leads us to encourage a man who has overcome having both legs amputated from just below the knee to become a world-class sprinter, in this case, maybe we shouldn't applaud him just yet. The IAAF -- track and field's world governing body -- has ruled that the prosthetics that Pistorius wears give him a clear and competitive advantage over able-bodied runners. And I believe such an advantage should disqualify Pistorius from competing this Summer.

Admittedly, it seems silly that a man who has lived all but 11 months of his life without half of his legs could have any type of advantage over a sprinter with two working poles; however, science tells us this is so. And the advantage comes from the "Cheetah Blades" that Pistorius wears when he runs. When the sprinter first petitioned to be eligible to compete in Beijing in 2008, the IAAF commissioned German professor Gert-Peter Brueggemann to test the blades for a mechanical edge. Brueggemann determined the prosthetics could provide Pistorius as much as a 30% advantage over other competitors. No other athlete is any other sport would be allowed a 30% mechanical edge over his adversaries in any circumstances. I don't feel this one should be any different.

Pistorius has gone on record saying the test was done "very professionally" by Professor Brueggeman, but still maintains he has no advantage. The company which makes the prosthetics supports that claim, and Pistorius has committed to proving that assertion through independent studies in hopes of appealing the IAAF's ruling. Even if the ruling is overturned, Pistorius would have to shave 0.8 seconds to meet the South African qualifying time for the Beijing Games.

It is a bit coincidental that on the same day of the IAAF's ruling, thousands of miles away, Major League Baseball's hierarchy was testifying at a Congressional hearing dealing with the use of illegal performance enhancers. While steroid users are clearly trying to cheat the game and the Cheetah Blades are merely allowing Pistorius to compete at all, science has proven that both provide it's user with a competitive advantage. The entire purpose of baseball's steroid crackdown is to level the playing field and restore the integrity of the game. I would argue that the governing body of a sport that doesn't acknowledge record-breaking times when there is a stiff breeze is merely trying to accomplish the same thing.

Oscar Pistorius is an inspiration to many. He is a man who has accomplished more without the use of his legs than many of us with two good legs could ever dream of. Pistorius serves as an example to humankind that anything truly is possible. There is even a place where Pistorius and others who share the same afflictions and equal zest for life can compete. Pistorius belongs in the Paralympic Games. He should spend the Summer of 2008 in Beijing, but he should spend it defending the 200 meter crown he won at the 2004 Athens Paralympic games.

While those Cheetah Blades have allowed Pistorius a chance to accomplish physical feats the world can marvel at, when used in competition against able-bodied athletes, they are nothing more than "Cheater" Blades.