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| EPA |
The runner is easily recognizable for the prosthetics that he uses as legs and is commonly known as the Blade Runner.
Pistorius was involved in the Paralympics first major controversy this year when he said that one of his opponents, who also uses prosthetic legs, hadn’t played by the rules. This came after Alan Oliveira of Brazil won the men's 200 meter final at London’s Paralympic Games.
Pistorius spoke out against the winner, but organizers of the Paralympics said he wouldn’t be disciplined for his outburst. It was Pistorius’ first lost in a 200 meter race in nine years.
However, when he was being interviewed after the race, he questioned the legitimacy of Oliveira’s prosthetics. The South African said he didn’t think the race was fair because Oliveira’s prosthetics were made longer, which allowed him to take longer strides.
He said it’s against the rules and even though Oliveira’s an exceptional athlete, he was about eight meters behind during the race and he won it because of the length of his artificial legs.
He claimed that the Brazilian was shorter than him last year and he’s now taller than him and this can be seen by watching videos of their competitions last year. He reiterated that he felt Oliveira is a great athlete, but longer prosthetics equal longer strides and he had an unfair advantage.
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said on Sept. 4 that while Pistorius spoke out of turn his remarks were made in the heat of the moment and he won’t face any punishment for them. Pistorius apologized a day after the race and said he was sorry for saying them at the end of the event, but said the length of prosthetics is still an issue that needs to be properly addressed.
It was reported that Pistorius had a meeting with Paralympic officials to discuss the incident and to let them know about his concerns and another meeting is scheduled.
The IPC said everything will be done officially instead of them just meeting informally. This means that South Africa’s Paralympic Committee will have to contact the IPC to make sure everything goes through the proper channels.
Pistorius is competing in the 100, 200, and 400 meter races in the Paralympics and was the reigning champion in all three events. He had an early lead in the 200 meter final and appeared to be about 10 meters in the clear. However, Oliveira caught up to him and passed him down the home stretch.
IPC said there are rules about the length of prosthetic limbs, but the formula is quite complicated as it involves limb, arm, and chest measurements. After measuring an athlete, the IPC rules what the maximum length of each individual’s prosthetics can be. The IPC said after the race that Oliveira’s prosthetics were of legal length.
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