Prosthetic-limbed runner disqualified from Olympics

Posted Jan 17th 2008 6:29AM by Joshua Topolsky
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Oscar Pistorius, a double-amputee sprinter, has been denied a shot at the Olympics... for being too fast. The runner -- who uses carbon-fiber, prosthetic feet -- was reviewed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (or IAAF), a review which found the combination of man and machine to be too much for its purely human competitors. According to the IAAF report, the "mechanical advantage of the blade in relation to the healthy ankle joint of an able bodied athlete is higher than 30-percent." Additionally, Pistorius uses 25-percent less energy than average runners due to the artificial limbs, therefore giving him an unfair advantage on the track... or so they say. Oscar is expected to appeal the decision, saying a lack of variables explored by the single scientific study calls for deeper investigation into the matter. Our suggestion? Prosthetic legs for all!

[Via Medgadget]

Tags: iaaf, International Association of Athletics Federations, InternationalAssociationOfAthleticsFederations, olympics, oscar pistorius, OscarPistorius, prosthesis, prosthetic feet, prosthetic limbs, ProstheticFeet, ProstheticLimbs

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