http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/14444569.stm

Who will be the first “able bodied” athlete to emulate him in search of an advantage?

Mahoosive wriggly worm can

Hmm, I was sure I read that the bladerunner folks could not race against able bodied as they were actually quite a bit faster?

Hmm, I was sure I read that the bladerunner folks could not race against able bodied as they were actually quite a bit faster

It does raise an interesting issue doesn’t it. I mean the design of the blades obviously has a massive effect on the speed which can be achieved, now obviously they can be adapted to make them faster and slower, but how would you go about finding the ‘correct’ adjustment which did not bias either competitor?

Slightly off topic. What do people think about athletes that compete or want to compete in both able and disability Olympics? I know there is a female cyclist who’s aim is to enter both? Different parts of the sport but I have to say I find it distasteful. Maybe you have a disability that proevents you entering a specific event, but in another the disability has no effect so you can enter an able bodied event. Is it just me or is this simple greed? You’re either disabled or you’re not?

Thoughts from the massive please?

You’re either disabled or you’re not?

erm… No. It is the environment which is disabling.

How about wheelchair marathon runners?

Women. They get their own events too. They should be made to compete with the men.

Women. They get their own events too. They should be made to compete with the men.

Yes, but each should be made to wear prosthetic versions of each others extra bits

LOL! And you could make it a handicap (as in horses, not disabled) race – make Usain Bolt run with 42GG prosthetic boobies.

What!? Make him run with the boobs of 42 horses? That’s just bizzare!!

Hmm, I was sure I read that the bladerunner folks could not race against able bodied as they were actually quite a bit faster?

They were, until he upped his game earlier this year, would be interesting to know if the “blade” manufacturers have been improving them over the years, or if they are the same old ones, he has been round for a while now after all.

MSP – Member
Hmm, I was sure I read that the bladerunner folks could not race against able bodied as they were actually quite a bit faster?
They were, until he upped his game earlier this year, would be interesting to know if the “blade” manufacturers have been improving them over the years, or if they are the same old ones, he has been round for a while now after all.

Ah oops, what I meant was that the bladed guys were faster than non-disabled! There was some nuts mechanical advantage once they got up to speed or something like that? It’s an interesting argument.

I think either Michael Johnson or Roger Black raised an interesting point about Oscar – is he an average athlete given a huge advantage or a good athlete who’d be up there anyway with legs.

I think either Michael Johnson or Roger Black raised an interesting point about Oscar – is he an average athlete given a huge advantage or a good athlete who’d be up there anyway with legs.

or an absolutely incredible athlete with a huge disadvantage.

make Usain Bolt run with 42GG prosthetic boobies.

Never did Caster Semenya any harm. A new category of competition: Mixed Singles

…but how would you go about finding the ‘correct’ adjustment which did not bias either competitor?

In some circles that is called ‘handicapping’…

Oops.

Never did Caster Semenya any harm.

I see no 42GGs (if anything I’d check for extra weight a bit lower).

What do people think about athletes that compete or want to compete in both able and disability Olympics?

Like Natalie du Toit (or say, um, Oscar Pistorius)? Don’t see anything wrong with that at all – she (and he) qualified quite legitimately for the paralympics given the criteria used for that. If they are also good enough to qualify for the “open” events then good on them. It’s certainly quite hard to argue that only having one leg isn’t a disadvantage for a swimmer (less so if you don’t have to do turns, hence the direction Natalie has taken) – it’s just that she’s very good.

Hmm, say the blades runners get quite good and famous and then rich. Would we see promising athletes ‘mechanical doping’. i.e. arranging to have an ‘accident’ in order to be fitted with blades…?

Should wheelchair athletes chop their legs off to save weight?

APF

Should wheelchair athletes chop their legs off to save weight?

I expect most runners, cyclists etc. could quite happily manage without their little fingers.

On a similar note, do jewish athletes have an unfair advantage?

do jewish athletes have an unfair advantage?

Not on Saturdays

The South African squad has lots of talking points. Semenya, du Toit, Pistorius.