Dockside Chat - Olympic "Blade Runner"...

While I think it's amazing what this South African track star dual leg amputee has achieved, I have to say I have mixed feelings about whether this was a good idea including him in the Olympics.... It seems to be a slippery slope, allowing someone to use a man-made body part..

But again, I don't want to be an ashole.... Part of me thinks it's really cool. Where do you draw the line?

Anyone else have thoughts....

I have the same feelings.....and have no idea what advantage he may/may not have (but you got to admire the guy either way).

As for whether he should compete.....I say let his competition decide that.

He shouldn't be elegible, that's why there are Special Olympics. Where do you draw the line, if he had wheels? My opinion is not a slam against him personally.

He shouldn't be elegible, that's why there are Special Olympics. Where do you draw the line, if he had wheels? My opinion is not a slam against him personally.

Ummm, the special olympics are for people that are mentally handicapped/disabled/challenged, the para olympics are for people who are physically handicapped/disabled/challenged.

What rubs me the wrong way is that he is getting ready to compete in the para olympics and that is BS. You can't have it both ways, he should have to chose which he is going to compete in......not both. If you want to claim that you are capable of competing against able bodied competitors, that's fine, compete against them and give up your eligibility to compete against other physically challenged people in the para olympics.

.,Ummm, the special olympics are for people that are mentally handicapped/disabled/challenged, the para olympics are for people who are physically handicapped/disabled/challenged.

What rubs me the wrong way is that he is getting ready to compete in the para olympics and that is BS. You can't have it both ways, he should have to chose which he is going to compete in......not both. If you want to claim that you are capable of competing against able bodied competitors, that's fine, compete against them and give up your eligibility to compete against other physically challenged people in the para olympics.

Mea culpa, you got my point though.

I think he should participate in the paralympics, not the regular olympics. Sorry if it sounds cruel, but allowing competitors with artificial limbs can very much turn this into a contest of technology as much as it is about athletics.

They absolutely shouldn't let this guy compete. There's numerous things that can go wrong from the knee down like broken bones, shin splints, sprained ankles and so on. These are things that can affect an athletes performance and as bad as it sounds this guy doesn't have to worry about them which gives him an advantage.

Also, how do we know he doesn't adjust these blades before the race to give him a little extra spring in his stride. This is why they have they para olympics so that people like him can compete on a more level field. Whats the point of having them if they are allowed to compete in the regular olympics.

Did he win a medal? Nope. Moot point. Just sayin',

My opinion- any athlete who thinks Pistorius has an unfair advantage with those blades is welcome to have his own feet cut off and be fitted with the same blades- it fits within the Olympic rules..

There was actually some interesting research on the mechanics of running with legs versus running with blades. Turns out with legs everyone can generate the same number of steps per minute - faster runners generate more power per step and that is why they are faster. Pistorius has less weight in his legs so he generates more steps per minute; but, there are no muscles below the knee and Pistorius cannot generate as much power per step. It seems Pistorius has a true handicap that cannot be overcome. He will never win at the top level. But, he has never given up.

He did not chose this. He was born with a defect that required his legs to be amputated. He has worked hard for years and happens to be fast enough to qualify. I think if any para Olympic athlete can overcome a physical "loss" and they can qualify for a race then let he or she compete. The typical para Olympic athlete cannot compete at world class levels so it never comes up.

These are the same Olympics that until recently did not allow "professionals" to compete. Things change. Often for the better.

I am glad Pistorius got to the Olympics. He sounds like one heck of a competitor. I also heard he is an incredible guy. He deserved this.

Did he win a medal? Nope. Moot point. Just sayin',

Tell that to the athlete that could have had his spot on the team.

Why not let a guy in a wheelchair compete?

My take on it is, if you cannot compete in the event at any level without the device(s), then you cant compete.

Just heard he IS competing on the para-olympics in a month. That seems wrong as well. You shouldn't be allowed to compete in both.

All that being said, it is certainly motivational for people with challenging lives. I just dont think the Olympics is the format for that purpose.

Tell that to the athlete that could have had his spot on the team.

Why not let a guy in a wheelchair compete?

My take on it is, if you cannot compete in the event at any level without the device(s), then you cant compete.

Just heard he IS competing on the para-olympics in a month. That seems wrong as well. You shouldn't be allowed to compete in both.

All that being said, it is certainly motivational for people with challenging lives. I just dont think the Olympics is the format for that purpose.

Are you saying that he didn't "qualify" for the SA team? If there was a faster athlete from South Africa and they put him in front of a faster runner, then that is wrong. ;?

While I think it's amazing what this South African track star dual leg amputee has achieved, I have to say I have mixed feelings about whether this was a good idea including him in the Olympics.... It seems to be a slippery slope, allowing someone to use a man-made body part..

But again, I don't want to be an ashole.... Part of me thinks it's really cool. Where do you draw the line?

Anyone else have thoughts....

Call me the a-hole then. It is wrong on every level!!!!!!!!! The guy should be in the special Olympics, period! If he doesn't qualify there then he's shit out of luck!

The part that bothers me the most is: the human heart and lungs are designed to supply the human body all that it needs under normal circumstances. Man has proven that it can push the human body past its limits....that's when the body starts to fail man.

Well the guy from South Africa has the same size heart and lungs as you and I do, BUT his heart and lungs does NOT supply oxygen rich blood to below his knees. Therefore His heart and lungs has less to deal with and more oxygen rich blood for the rest of his body. Not fare to all the other athletes he competes against!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you saying that he didn't "qualify" for the SA team? If there was a faster athlete from South Africa and they put him in front of a faster runner, then that is wrong. ;?

Im saying he shouldnt have been allowed to qualify IMO any more than I should be allowed to qualify in the paraolympics. He certainly should not be allowed to qualify for both.

He is either "able bodied" and can compete in the Olympics and not the ParaOlympics or he is not.

I want to be clear that I think his accomplishments are incredible.

He spent over 6 months undergoing tests which concluded he has no mechanical advantage whatsoever. With the attitudes around here lately I could swear it was winter time and folks were suffering From cabin fever / boat withdrawals. The guy proved he was at a disadvantage and ran the times to qualify ..... what is the big deal? For the safety of other runners in the relay he had to run lead where the runner must stay in their lanes.


Mr. D he is at a disadvantage .....You running in the para Olympics would have an advantage. He has no advantage!

Call me the a-hole then. It is wrong on every level!!!!!!!!! The guy should be in the special Olympics, period! If he doesn't qualify there then he's shit out of luck!

The part that bothers me the most is: the human heart and lungs are designed to supply the human body all that it needs under normal circumstances. Man has proven that it can push the human body past its limits....that's when the body starts to fail man.

Well the guy from South Africa has the same size heart and lungs as you and I do, BUT his heart and lungs does NOT supply oxygen rich blood to below his knees. Therefore His heart and lungs has less to deal with and more oxygen rich blood for the rest of his body. Not fare to all the other athletes he competes against!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's a valid point. Also, what about the typical runner who is susceptible to injuring his foot/ankle/leg - or is running with soreness or a sprain... This guy has none of these issues.

If you play this out to a logical extreme, it's a slippery slope...

Like I said, there were good intentions behind this... And it's a great story. But it's a problematic precedent, to say the least.

You running in the para Olympics would have an advantage. He has no advantage!

You've obviously never seen me run :grin:

Like I said earlier, if you can perform the event without use of any prosthesis or mechanical aid, then you should be able to compete in the regular Olympics. If not, then we have another set of games for you to compete in called the Para-Olympics. This would eliminate arguments about what the difference is between a $500 pair of shoes and a $500,000 par of legs. The difference being the able bodied athlete can run barefoot. The athlete with no legs cannot run without his artificial limbs.

I also strongly feel that if you are caught using a banned substance ie, growth hormone, steroids, etc. you should be banned from the sport, not just suspended. The advantages you gained while using the substance(s) dont just go away when you stop using them. Probably could have a 20 page thread on that alone.

'BLADE RUNNER' GUNS DOWN GIRLFRIEND (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2278492/Oscar-Pistorius-arrested-accidentally-shot-dead-girlfriend-mistaking-burglar.html)

Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius charged with murder after 'he accidentally shot dead his model girlfriend at his luxury South Africa home when he mistook her for an intruder'

and now he should be hanged publicly! really....bring back public hangings.

I was wondering how banned man thread got back up here

very sick and sad...

I dont know what the judicial system in SA is like but from what Ive read so far if this guy were here he'd probably get away with this.

Yah shit got weird fast.

It sounds like doesn't have a leg to stand on....

It sounds like doesn't have a leg to stand on....


LOL you beat me to that one! :grin:

What a piece of shit to shoot that girl. She had so much going for her and now all of her wishes and dreams are gone along with her families. Why can't these bums just shoot themself and not hurt innocent people! ;?

From the article it sounds like he is a paranoid and delusional individual. Ot maybe that really is how it is in South Africa. Maybe get it reduced to manslaughter.

'BLADE RUNNER' GUNS DOWN GIRLFRIEND (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2278492/Oscar-Pistorius-arrested-accidentally-shot-dead-girlfriend-mistaking-burglar.html)

Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius charged with murder after 'he accidentally shot dead his model girlfriend at his luxury South Africa home when he mistook her for an intruder'




I imagine it went something like this..............

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9t5ikxjAQ4

'BLADE RUNNER' GUNS DOWN GIRLFRIEND (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2278492/Oscar-Pistorius-arrested-accidentally-shot-dead-girlfriend-mistaking-burglar.html)

Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius charged with murder after 'he accidentally shot dead his model girlfriend at his luxury South Africa home when he mistook her for an intruder'




I imagine it went something like this..............

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9t5ikxjAQ4

From the article it sounds like he is a paranoid and delusional individual. Ot maybe that really is how it is in South Africa. Maybe get it reduced to manslaughter.


Ya never know with their legal system. He is a pretty wealthy man so he should be able to stump for a top lawyer. If all else fails he could just leg it after making bail.

Sounds to me like he may have confessed and the charges have been upgraded. In this case would a confession be like shooting yourself in the foot?

Girlfriend 'shot four times through bathroom door'... (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2278970/Oscar-Pistorius-breaks-tears-charged-count-murder-Reeva-Steenkamp.html)

Sounds to me like he may have confessed and the charges have been upgraded. In this case would a confession be like shooting yourself in the foot?

You ain't right. :rofl:

Nice, um, dress...

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/02/15/article-2278970-17924ED2000005DC-186_634x817.jpg

What a waste.
Reeva Steenkamp.
.

From what I've read about her she had a lot more going for her than just looks. She was pretty smart and had her shit together.

Reeva Steenkamp, Oscar Pistorius' girlfriend, had many talents



http://aol.sportingnews.com/sport/story/2013-02-14/reeva-steenkamp-murdered-dead-oscar-pistorius-bio-model-law-school-fhm-photo?grcc2=4e0973ad38fa8f338dc12a247298f645~13611 20480028~46ecb09adc92a29bc5142a779997297b~~1361120 400000~570~0~0~0~0~0~0~0~7~2~12~109~611~3606886964 115486023~~http%3A%2F%2Faol.sportingnews.com%2Fnas car%2Fstory%2F2013-02-16%2Fdaytona-500-2013-tony-stewart-takes-blame-wreck-sprint-unlimited~114~

A terrible tragedy indeed.



.

It appears they are going for the maximum sentence of life with no chance of parole. Leaving room for a lesser plea. His running qualification are valueless. It appears this individual had a big time drinking problem along with other behavioral quirks. It was my understanding he was not an amputee but was born with out lower leg bones.

surely Oscar Pistorius can't be the first bloke to wake up legless on valentines day after shooting a load into his girlfriends face whilst imagining she was someone else