The IOC has a Weird Concept of Advantage
The IOC has ruled double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius in ineligible for the Olympics because his artificial limbs give him an unfair advantage. Considering their terrible track record on steroids, they figured this is the only sort of unfair advantage they’d be able to notice, so might as well ban the guy, which they essentially have done.
Track and field’s governing body ruled Monday he is ineligible to compete this summer in Beijing — or any other sanctioned able-bodied competitions — because his “Cheetah” racing blades are “technical aids” that give him a clear advantage.
“An athlete using this prosthetic blade has a demonstrable mechanical advantage (more than 30 percent) when compared to someone not using the blade,” the International Association of Athletics Federations said.
You know what was probably a disadvantage? Being born without fibias. But no matter, even if the artificial legs are an advantage, they aren’t an unfair one. If any of the other sprinters wanted to have their shins removed, they could get the prosthetic too. I’m pretty sure Marion Jones would try it.
A more serious idea: couldn’t they just have Pistorius use a prosthetic that is equally as effective as their benchmark? Take away that extra 30%, and then isn’t everything hunky-dory? I feel like it wouldn’t be that hard to make the technology work worse.
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