SOUTH AFRICA / FILE: IAAF results expected to crush Oscar Pistorius's dream to compete in the Olympic Games
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455552
SOUTH AFRICA / FILE: IAAF results expected to crush Oscar Pistorius's dream to compete in the Olympic Games
- Title: SOUTH AFRICA / FILE: IAAF results expected to crush Oscar Pistorius's dream to compete in the Olympic Games
- Date: 12th January 2008
- Summary: FILE : PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA (RECENT) (REUTERS) OSCAR PISTORIUS PREPARING TO RUN OSCAR'S PROSTHETIC LEGS OSCAR RUNNING
- Embargoed: 27th January 2008 12:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: Sports
- Reuters ID: LVAA91IZ821EZ6S4TK05HR55EFU3
- Story Text: South African double amputee Oscar Pistorius on Friday (January 11) vowed to appeal if the world athletics governing body denied his bid to compete against able-bodied runners with carbon fibre blades attached to his legs.
A spokesman for the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) said on Friday it would announce on Monday (January 14) whether Pistorius could use his prosthetic devices, known as Cheetah Flex-Feet, to compete at the Beijing Olympics and other events.
It is expected the IAAF, which has commissioned studies of the J-shaped Cheetahs, will rule that they give the 21-year-old South African, who has been dubbed the "Blade Runner," an unfair competitive advantage.
Pistorius, who was born without the fibula in his lower legs, all but confirmed on Friday the ruling would go against him, promising to appeal a decision at "the highest levels" while pursuing his bid to race in the Paralympics and Olympics.
"I feel that it is my responsibility, on behalf of myself and all other disabled athletes, to stand firmly and not allow on organisation to inhibit our ability to compete using the very tools without which we simply cannot walk, let alone run," he told reporters at his training centre in Pretoria.
"I will not stand down," he added.
His agent, Peet van Zyl, suggested that Pistorius could file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.
Pistorius's quest has generated considerable international interest, sympathy and controversy, largely because he is the first amputee athlete to emerge as a serious threat to able-bodied competitors.
He won a gold and bronze at the 2004 Athens Paralympics, and some believe he could win a medal if allowed to compete at the Olympics.
While many have applauded his bravery and competitive spirit, others have argued that he has a distinct advantage as a result of the mechanics of his prosthetic devices.
Peter Bruggeman, a scientist from the German Sports University in Cologne who has conducted a study of Pistorius' curved blades for the IAAF, told German newspaper Die Welt the athlete had advantages over those without prosthetic limbs.
Bruggeman noted that Pistorius had a greater efficiency rating than those with normal feet and also was able to run a 400-metre sprint with a lower oxygen intake than other athletes as a result of his prosthetic devices.
Pistorius called Bruggeman's statements "premature and subjective" and questioned the scientist's motivation in releasing information before Pistorius had been informed of the results of the studies.
The IAAF bans devices that vary from the function or contour of the human body but generally allows prosthetic devices. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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