Oscar's Olympic blade ban blow

By Paul Carter

Oscar Pistorius has been officially banned from competing in the Olympic Games after the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) ruled that his carbon fibre blades offer him “clear mechanical advantages”.

The ruling comes after two days of scientific testing that Pistorius, 21, underwent in November at the German Sport University’s Institute of Biomechanics and Orthopaedics in Cologne.

A statement released by the IAAF claims that the tests’ findings suggest that the South African’s “Cheetah” prosthetics give him a “demonstrable mechanical advantage” of more than 30 per cent compared to athletes running without blades.

It also claims that Pistorius runs at the same speed as non-disabled athletes while expending 25 per cent less energy and that the energy returned from the blades to the legs is three times higher than from a natural lower limb.

The statement said: “The IAAF council has been able to review the full report and has decided that the prosthetic blades known as “Cheetahs” should be considered as technical aids in clear contravention of IAAF rule 144.2.”

Rule 144.2 prohibits using any technical device that “incorporates springs, wheels or any other element that provides the user with an advantage over another athlete not using such a device”.

The decision also means Pistorius will not be able to compete in any competitions organised under IAAF rules, effectively ruling him out of competing in events such as the Golden League, where he finished second in a 400m “B” race last year against non-disabled athletes.

In December, the CEO of Ossur, the company that manufactures the Cheetahs, Jon Sigurdsson, wrote to IAAF president Lamine Diack in support of Pistorius.

Sigurdsson’s letter said: “As the world leaders in our industry, we are confident that the testing which you have commissioned will clearly show that he does not have a technical advantage over able-bodied athletes. Based on the biomechanics alone, it is simply not possible for him or any amputee to have an advantage over the able-bodied.”

The ruling could now also have implications for the Paralympics, as Pistorius currently competes against single leg amputees, raising questions of an advantage in that category, too.

Pistorius said last month, before the findings were announced, that he would appeal “to the highest levels” if the IAAF ruled against him.