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Double Amputee Oscar Pistorius Can Run In The Olympics

DOUBLE-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius has won his appeal Friday and can compete for a place in the Beijing Olympics.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that the 21-year-old South African is eligible to race against able-bodied athletes, overturning a ban imposed by the International Association of Athletics Federations.

CAS said the unanimous ruling goes into effect immediately.

“I am ecstatic,” Pistorius told reporters in Milan, Italy. “When I found out, I cried. It is a battle that has been going on for far too long. It’s a great day for sport. I think this day is going to go down in history for the equality of disabled people.”

Pistorius should compete. And other athletes should go hard on him. Going easy on the South African would be a violation of the sporting ethos: to do your best.

Why not let him run?

And if he wins Olympic Gold? Well, the naysayers who bemoan his “advantage” will worry at the possibilty of other athletes chopping off their limps to win?

No bother. Let them. Athletes already deform their bodies - with drugs…

Via

Anorak

Posted: 16th, May 2008 | In: Back pages Comments (26) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink

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Rich says:
June 4th, 2008 at 10:12 pm

This makes me sad.
Sport has enough problems without turning itself into some kind of pantomime.

coolandcalm says:
May 17th, 2008 at 12:35 pm

found it…. she’s still going strong. Still makes me tearful just reading about her.

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/swimming/news/story?id=3379722

coolandcalm says:
May 17th, 2008 at 12:33 pm

I well remember the young South African (?) girl who was an Olympic swimmer and then lost her leg in a motor-cycle accident but carried on training and swam in the next competition.
Cannot remember her name or what she’s doing now. a real tear jerker as she finished her race…
must try and google her

chenier says:
May 17th, 2008 at 11:36 am

Remember the inspiring precedent of the American gymnast who won a gold medal in the 1904 Olympics despite having a wooden leg!

And no, I’m not making that up…

Fred says:
May 17th, 2008 at 10:42 am

Been keeping up with Oscar and his story from The U.S. Congrats to him its a huge step him and others like him Press on Oscar it only gets tougher from here young man but I for one am pulling for you

Grande Finale says:
May 17th, 2008 at 3:29 am

Fine, it’s Ok…………………….

As long as he’s in the outside lane, and he doesn’t win………… otherwise……

JuneJohnson says:
May 16th, 2008 at 10:51 pm

Back from the pub, hi all, lost the keys oh fun….

Kenny Logins RulEZ says:
May 16th, 2008 at 10:46 pm

I think he should be allowed to run. But as the WaPo brings up, where do we draw the line when technology starts making those who are disabled more abled than everyone else?