Pistorius is a double amputee
sprinter who owns many world records and gold medals. Currently, his best
time in the 400-meter is 46.25 seconds, which is just a shade off of the
olympic qualifying time of 45.95. The clock, however, is not the only challenge
the “blade runner” has had to face in his attempt to qualify for the
Olympics — he's also had to fight a battle in the courts.
In January 2008, the International Association of Athletics
Federations banned Pistorius from competing against able-bodied athletes,
claiming that his “Cheetah” prosthetics, made by the company Ossur, gave him an
unfair advantage. In May of 2009, this decision was overturned by the Court of
Arbitration for Sport, even though evidence was presented at the trial that
supported the claim that Pistorius has an unfair advantage.
At this point, you might ask: how could a sprinter with no
legs possibly have an advantage over an able-bodied athlete? The answer lies in
a set of studies performed by a team of scientists who specialize in the field
of biomechanics. With Pistorius’ cooperation, the team performed measurements
of his running motion and compared the results to those of able-bodied
athletes. These measurements included his oxygen uptake while he was running,
the maximum speed he was able to run, and the force that his prosthetic limbs
applied to a treadmill during each stride. After analyzing the results, it was
concluded that Pistorius’ body gets tired and spends the same amount of energy
on running that an able-bodied runner would use. However, scientists also
concluded that the mechanics of Pistorius’ running motion gives him an unfair
advantage. This advantage is a result of how much lighter and springier his
artificial limbs are in comparison to human legs.
- Fast fact: Biomechanics is the application of physics concepts, such as force and momentum, to understand the motions of living organisms.
While Pistorius is once again allowed to compete against
able-bodied athletes, the recently revealed results of the biomechanical tests
performed on his running motion will continue to cause controversy as he
attempts to qualify for the 2012 Olympics. As the debate about Pistorius’
eligibility rages on, and as prosthetic technology continues to improve, the
science of biomechanics will remain at center stage as important decisions are
made about the eligibility of disabled athletes and the prosthetics they use.
Learn More:
An article about O.P.:
