Blade Runner
Greatness is not quantifiable, but it has something to do with the capacity to inspire awe in competitors and spectators alike. Lots of people attain "great success", but far fewer can genuinely be described as "great" themselves.
Far fewer still get to deserve this accolade at the age of 21.Yet there is something- the unmistakable hallmark of greatness- about South Africa's double-amputee, treble-World Record holding Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius.
Pistorius, fitted with controversial carbon-fibre prosthetics which lend him the nickname "blade runner" is a clear distance ahead of any of his competitors in the Paralympic field, and as such, has sought to make the switch to able-bodied races. He did so with some success; he came second in the 400m B-race at Rome's Golden Gala last Summer, with a time of 46.90s. To put that in context, Pistorius' World Record is 46.56s, and the able-bodied record 43.18s.
That record is held by another true, undisputed great- Michael Johnson. What the two athletes share is that quality of inspiring awe. Watching Johnson was like watching a machine- he had an unconventional running style which only added to the impression of relentless intensity.
Pistorius is still almost three seconds behind Johnson's World Record, but his success has shocked the International Association of Athletic Federations into amending their competition rules to prevent him from competing in able-bodied competitions under their jurisdiction- including the Olympics, which had been Pistorius' goal. This at first seems a jarring decision, which doesn't sit well with our sentimental streak, which pervades much discussion of Pistorius' astonishing success.
This is how we view disabled athletics' great successes. There is a comparison to be made between able-bodied athletes, who make us think of what we could have done had we had their genetic good luck, and disabled athletes, who make us think of what is possible when fortune and fate conspire against an individual. It is altogether more humbling spectacle.
Yet such sentiment is dangerous, and though it offends our best wishes and heartfelt thoughts on the matter, the IAAF has made the correct decision to introduce the clause banning "any technical device that incorporates springs, wheels or any other element that provides a user with an advantage over another athlete not using such a device".
However much we want to see Pistorius competing at the Olympics, the precedent cannot safely be made to allow him to do so. In the days of Roger Bannister's four-minute mile, perhaps, it would have been unthinkable that someone would take a decision detrimental to their own health in order to win a medal. However, decades of athletes abusing steroids have shown us that athletes will not let genetic shortcomings stand in their way, no matter how detrimental the effects. It is far-fetched, and the IAAF no doubt recognise the flippancy of the notion, but they cannot risk the possibility of an athlete literally giving their right leg (or rather, both legs) to win a medal.
As for Pistorius, he must have had his doubts as to whether he'd be allowed to compete. But what a statement he has made by attempting the cross-over. He is a great in whichever field he competes.
Far fewer still get to deserve this accolade at the age of 21.Yet there is something- the unmistakable hallmark of greatness- about South Africa's double-amputee, treble-World Record holding Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius.
Pistorius, fitted with controversial carbon-fibre prosthetics which lend him the nickname "blade runner" is a clear distance ahead of any of his competitors in the Paralympic field, and as such, has sought to make the switch to able-bodied races. He did so with some success; he came second in the 400m B-race at Rome's Golden Gala last Summer, with a time of 46.90s. To put that in context, Pistorius' World Record is 46.56s, and the able-bodied record 43.18s.
That record is held by another true, undisputed great- Michael Johnson. What the two athletes share is that quality of inspiring awe. Watching Johnson was like watching a machine- he had an unconventional running style which only added to the impression of relentless intensity.
Pistorius is still almost three seconds behind Johnson's World Record, but his success has shocked the International Association of Athletic Federations into amending their competition rules to prevent him from competing in able-bodied competitions under their jurisdiction- including the Olympics, which had been Pistorius' goal. This at first seems a jarring decision, which doesn't sit well with our sentimental streak, which pervades much discussion of Pistorius' astonishing success.
This is how we view disabled athletics' great successes. There is a comparison to be made between able-bodied athletes, who make us think of what we could have done had we had their genetic good luck, and disabled athletes, who make us think of what is possible when fortune and fate conspire against an individual. It is altogether more humbling spectacle.
Yet such sentiment is dangerous, and though it offends our best wishes and heartfelt thoughts on the matter, the IAAF has made the correct decision to introduce the clause banning "any technical device that incorporates springs, wheels or any other element that provides a user with an advantage over another athlete not using such a device".
However much we want to see Pistorius competing at the Olympics, the precedent cannot safely be made to allow him to do so. In the days of Roger Bannister's four-minute mile, perhaps, it would have been unthinkable that someone would take a decision detrimental to their own health in order to win a medal. However, decades of athletes abusing steroids have shown us that athletes will not let genetic shortcomings stand in their way, no matter how detrimental the effects. It is far-fetched, and the IAAF no doubt recognise the flippancy of the notion, but they cannot risk the possibility of an athlete literally giving their right leg (or rather, both legs) to win a medal.
As for Pistorius, he must have had his doubts as to whether he'd be allowed to compete. But what a statement he has made by attempting the cross-over. He is a great in whichever field he competes.
posted by Matt at 3:16 pm
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