Blade Runner without a leg to stand on
By Eric Wilkins, Staff Writer
Oscar Pistorius, the poster boy for disabled athletes, has really put his foot in it this time. So to speak. After finishing second to a Brazilian, Alan Oliveira, Pistorius almost immediately lashed out (minutes after the race) at Oliveira and his blades.
âWeâre not running in a fair race here,â said Pistorius. âIâm not taking anything away from Alanâs performance, but I canât compete with Alanâs stride. Absolutely ridiculous.â Pistoriusâ main gripe seems to be the length of Oliveiraâs blades and the stride length advantage they give him, so letâs take a look at that, shall we? Under IPC regulations, Oliveiraâs racing height can be a maximum of 1.85 meters; for the race, Oliveira was measured at 1.81 meters. Well within the rules. In comparison, Pistorius is allowed to be up to 1.93 meters, but he chose to race at 1.84 meters. No controversy so far, just a hot-headed former top-dog with sour grapes.
The stride length issue turns out to be irrelevant as well. During the race, Pistorius took 92 steps while Oliveira took 98. 98. Now, while my math skills have significantly deteriorated since high school, I believe I am correct when I figure that 98 is more than 92, and, therefore, means Oliveiraâs stride is, in fact, shorter than Pistoriusâ.
But further talk neednât be wasted on the baseless accusations of a defeated champion. The real talking point here is the delicious irony of Oscar Pistorius, the man who fought tooth, claw, and nail for years to get into the Olympics on the grounds that his blades gave him no advantage whatsoever, complaining about an unfair advantage gained by another athlete through his prostheses. Pistorius has backed himself into a corner with his comments, and has certainly created an uncomfortable situation for himself. I donât have enough space to write the endless sarcastic questions I would like to ask Pistorius, but Iâm sure you have more than a few yourself.
As if it couldnât get any worse for âthe Blade Runner,â the timing of his comments left much to be desired. Criticizing the gold medal winner right after his crowning glory? This isnât just a (non) issue of blades, but a disgusting display of poor sportsmanship. Pistorius has reminded us that, though Paralympic athletes have been through a great deal of hardship, they are still people. The fact that theyâve all struggled hard to get to the level they are at, doesnât mean they canât be just as egotistical and thoughtless as other athletes. Nowhere does it say that living with a disability automatically places a halo over your head, and Pistorius has shown the world just that with his outburst.
Pistorius has apologized for the timing of his comments, but stands by his guns that Oliveiraâs (and others) blades are too long. Just like a true athlete would.
