In recent years, Olympic gold has been reserved for those cheaters who are sneaky enough to avoid detection. No longer, says the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
In its historic ruling, the CAS has recognized that artificial enhancement of the human physique should not disqualify an athlete from Olympic competition. This represents a huge change from the don’t-ask-because-your-tests-aren’t-good-enough policy that has been used in dealing with performance-enhancing drug use in track, field, cycling, baseball, and essentially every other major sport. No longer will naturally ungifted “athletes” such as Pistorius need to hide their carbon-fiber legs.
You might be imagining that I am being facetious in calling an amputee a “cheater” for using prosthetic limbs to compete in athletic events. I assure you that this is not the case.
Above, Pistorius cheats on artificial legs.
Below, American Justin Gatlin cheats on steroids.
Look at Pistorius. No offense to the guy; he obviously has put a lot of work into chasing his dreams. But look at him. He does not have a sprinter’s physique. His success is partly due to his determination, but mostly it is due to the fact that he is able to put less effort into achieving and maintaining the same pace as real-legged athletes. He should not be accorded the same status as people relying on their natural human tissues. He might as well wear a jet pack or drive a car down the track.
Asafa Powell is enhanced only by steroids.
Tony
Wallace
enice5555
kingstamper
Matt
5 responses so far ↓
Wallace // May 16, 2008 at 3:18 pm
I’m going to have to agree with Anthony on this one. Allowing a person who’s body is enhanced by artificial means has no place in the olympic competition against atheletes who are natural. There can be a seperate competition for altered athletes but unaltered players shouldn’t be disadvantaged by having to compete against them.
The problem here is that Pistorius’ legs were engineered to be the best and the fastest. Does it mean that he’s going to beat world class sprinters? Probably not. But imagine an already gifted athlete with artificial limbs that don’t give him the same friction or more spring than a human leg and foot ever could. All of a sudden it’s a different sport and a different competition.
If doping is wrong because your body is alterred than so is allowing somebody with artificial limbs to compete in regular competition. To me this smells of feeling sorry for a guy and letting him into the olympics.
Wallace // May 16, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Apparently our contributor Matt wrote this article instead of Anthony. This is what happens when our contributors don’t contribute for months I just assume that Anthony posted something. So just change all my “Anthony’s” to “Matt” and you’ll get the idea.
Matt // May 16, 2008 at 4:40 pm
These are two of the most insightful comments I have ever seen. Good work, Anthony.
Wallace // May 16, 2008 at 4:41 pm
That’s why they call me The Brain.
Tony // May 17, 2008 at 2:54 am
The big issue here is that although Oscar has the handicap that he’s overcome, he currently has a superior set of legs in this event, according to most of the physics works that been done on his blades. Its a nice story, but this is a slippery slope.
Before you know it, cyborgs are competing in the olympics with all sorts of augmentations that allow for super human performances.
Sorry, Pistorius, but you’re blades give you a proven advantage in running and it would undermine the training efforts of legged-runners for you to compete in the Olympics.