Oscar Pistorius

[Wet Ears]

And from the officials - don't say I don't report from all sides!!! Make your own deductions

 

IPC Athletics rules are in place regarding prosthesis length for lower leg amputees.

 

Since 2010 athletes competing at IPC international competitions have been checked at regular occasions in the Call Room prior to participation.

 

At the London 2012 Paralympic Games all athletes competing in T42/43/44 events (above knee and below knee lower leg amputees) have had their prosthesis measured against the IPC Athletics Rules.

 

This evening all athletes competing in the Men’s 200m T44 final were checked by international classifiers in the Call Room ahead of the race. All were within the regulations outlined in the IPC Athletics Classification Handbook.

 

After the race Oscar Pistorius requested a meeting with the IPC where he voiced his concerns.

 

Craig Spence, IPC Communications Director, said: “Oscar raised a concern with the IPC regarding the rules on the length of prosthesis in T43/44 events.

 

“We agreed to meet with him at a later date so that he could raise his questions in a formal environment away from the emotion of the stadium.

 

“The IPC respects the significant role Oscar has played in raising the global profile of Paralympic Sport since his Games debut in 2004. Therefore we are more than willing to give him an opportunity to air his views in a non-emotional environment at a meeting to be organised at a later date.”

[Tumbleweed]

I think his outburst was ill-timed, and perhaps born out of frustration. Doesn't make it right. I believe he has since apologised. Won't do him too many favours.

[Li Mu Bai]

I think his outburst was ill-timed, and perhaps born out of frustration. Doesn't make it right. I believe he has since apologised. Won't do him too many favours.

I agree. He is too much of a super star to do what he did, especially after he was beaten. Pity. There must have been better ways to tackle this issue.

[Wet Ears]

I think his outburst was ill-timed, and perhaps born out of frustration. Doesn't make it right. I believe he has since apologised. Won't do him too many favours.

 

Agreed, smacks of poor sportmanship - raise those sorts of issues before you lose. Pity cos he really is a great ambassador.

[Escapee..]

But why is he running in the Olympics and the Paralympics?

 

He qualified for the Olympics so why does he have to run in Paralympics as well?

[Wet Ears]

Cos he can

[Azonic]

But why is he running in the Olympics and the Paralympics?

 

He qualified for the Olympics so why does he have to run in Paralympics as well?

 

Hey, who the hell are you to ask logical questions??? Didn't you know the "feel good" factor of overcoming adversity is allot more important?

[Azonic]

So he is complaining that the other guys legs were too long. Flip well that settles it, Usain Bolt should be disqualified!!!

[Grebel]

So he is complaining that the other guys legs were too long. Flip well that settles it, Usain Bolt should be disqualified!!!

 

I was thinking the same thing!! Lets regulate the power output for the climbers and sprinters at every race to level the playing fields while we are at it!

 

As far as competing in both the para and normal olympics go, personally I don't think that should be allowed. It should be either or, but that's my opinion.......

[Shebeen]

once again, let's throw some science at it!

http://www.sportsscientists.com/2012/09/oscar-pistorius-counting-strides-as.html

"it's very clear that the guys have got very long strides".

 

To add to that case, he is quoted after the final as saying the following: "I can't compete with Alan's stride length".

 

Now, let me start upfront by saying that there is a lot more to running that stride length. If all it took was big strides, then the running world would be dominated by the tallest men, and shorter runners like Tyson Gay would stand no chance. What matters is not just stride length, or height, but rather the length of the leg relative to height, and the ground contact length, which is a function of the leg length (partly). Plus there is force applied to the ground, leg turnover rates and all those things, but let's take one component at a time here!

 

As requested - a cursory look at the strides

 

So, since Oscar Pistorius has made it a point to emphasize how long his rivals' strides are (it's "very clear that they have got very long strides", he said), and to say that he "can't compete with Alan's (Oliveira - the Brazilian who beat him) stride length", I watched the race over and did the obvious thing - I counted the strides.

 

It turns out that Pistorius took 92 steps during the race (2.2m per stride), and Oliveira took 98 steps to win gold (2.0m per stride). To break it down further:

 

In the first 100m, Pistrorius took 49 steps (2.0m per stride), with 43 steps in the straight (2.3m per stride).

 

Oliveira, on the other hand, took SHORTER strides - 52 in the first 100m (1.92m each) and 46 in the second 100m (2.2m each).

 

So, a simple count shows that Pistorius has longer strides than Alan, and they are consistently longer - on the bend, and in the straight, for those who are wondering. It's Oliveira who "can't compete with Oscar's stride length". His faster speed, then, is the result of faster leg movement, because speed, as you will appreciate, is the result of stride length and stride rate.

 

And here again, let me repeat, there is much more to the debate that simply the stride length, as I'll get to shortly. But the point there is that once again, you have this misinformation from Pistorius, and the media are too lazy to interrogate it further, they just report and allow the uninformed debate to go on.

Unfortunately i think oscar could be a victim of his own success. he's raised the level of awareness of his sort of 'athletics', and will now battle to compete with new entrants. he won't win with his mouth.

[Azonic]

I was thinking the same thing!! Lets regulate the power output for the climbers and sprinters at every race to level the playing fields while we are at it!

 

As far as competing in both the para and normal olympics go, personally I don't think that should be allowed. It should be either or, but that's my opinion.......

 

And you'll be flamed for your opinion, as I was. Like I've said, some people value the kumbaya / feelgood factor more than logic and plain old right and wrong. Golden/Poster Boy lost, tough. It happens. Like you said... maybe cyclists should be protesting because the winner's tyres had a slightly lower rolling resistance. If he tried his luck at the able bodied Olympics using mechinical tools, who is he to complain? And boo-fkin-hoo that someone else "out-teched" him at the Paralymics.

[Azonic]

once again, let's throw some science at it!

http://www.sportssci...strides-as.html

 

Unfortunately i think oscar could be a victim of his own success. he's raised the level of awareness of his sort of 'athletics', and will now battle to compete with new entrants. he won't win with his mouth.

 

Damn you all for bringing science, facts and logic into this! Didn't you know people just want a hot cuppa "feelgood" and look the other way.

[Grebel]

And you'll be flamed for your opinion, as I was. Like I've said, some people value the kumbaya / feelgood factor more than logic and plain old right and wrong. Golden/Poster Boy lost, tough. It happens. Like you said... maybe cyclists should be protesting because the winner's tyres had a slightly lower rolling resistance. If he tried his luck at the able bodied Olympics using mechinical tools, who is he to complain? And boo-fkin-hoo that someone else "out-teched" him at the Paralymics.

 

At the end of the day, rules are rules. If they all passed "scrutineering" prior to the race then he was beaten fair and square and that should be the end of it. I hear that he apologised for his antics after he was beaten though.

 

The Kumbaya factor is very strong unfortunately. Logic doesn't apply. With something like the para's that feelgood factor is very strong. Funny thing is that all these athletes probably don't want sympathy. They just want to be treated like anybody else .. but that's not human nature!

[Coolcat]

Interesting discussion, and whether he has an 'advantage' or not, I cannot say. I do have the greatest respect for Oscar and commend him for his courage to get on with his life and pursue his sport at the highest level.

 

I would like to raise one point; I think Oscar should decide whether he wants to compete against able bodied athletes or with those athletes with some form of physical disability. Take for example the Olympics; able bodied athletes are not allowed to compete in the Paralympics whereas Oscar is the only person in the world (?) who enjoys that unique position where he can participate in both.

 

Is this fair ? What are your thoughts ?

[kingalton]

Do you want a marsmallow with that cup of kumbaya?

Why do you ask people for opinions, then reply with a snide remark when they give them?

[Skott5]

So ... He claims the brazilians blades gave him an advantage. Others say Oscars blades have an advantage over legs ..

It's all a conspiracy I say ...