I’m gearing up for a big evening of sport with some mates who are coming round to my place later. First off we’re going to watch the British Athletics Grand prix this evening, and then we’re going to watch the Copa America final between Brazil and Argentina.
What got my attention in the sports news today was the amazing story of Oscar Pistorius from South Africa. Oscar was born without calf bones so sadly the doctor’s had to amputate both his legs below the knee when he was 11 months. However, Oscar hasn’t let this hold him back and is running with j-shaped carbon-fibre prosthetics designed to mimic the way cheetahs run – his nickname is the “Blade Runner”.
The IAAF tried to stop him competing by introducing a new rule in March that stops any athlete competing if they are using any technical device which gives the runner an unfair advantage. However, after a lot of bad press following the move they are letting Oscar compete in meets while they assess whether he is getting any unfair advantage.
The video of Oscar’s first race against able-bodied competitors on Friday in Rome is below:
I think he did really well coming in second and I’m sure he will go even faster this evening as he starts adjusting to the pace of able-bodied races. It’s definitely going to be a much faster race tonight, as Oscar will be lining up against current world and Olympic 400m champion Jeremy Warriner.
I really hope they continue to let him run, but I can see the problem that the IAAF will have if he starts winning races.What do you think – should Oscar Pistrious be allowed to compete?Whatever happens, Oscar’s story will definitely inspire many people.
Let’s hope the IAAF make a decision soon so that Oscar knows whether or not he will be training for next year’s Olympics.
