Carrying along our body

For several years, the South African athlete Oscar Pistorius has been a subject of debate in the world of sports. Pistorius is an athlete whose lower legs were amputated when still a baby because he was born without fibulae. He runs with the help of two special prostheses made of carbon, which look somewhat like bent spatulas. The construct that replaces his lower leg and foot is remarkably thin. As a result, when running he almost appears to be flying when looked at from the side.

Of course, Pistorius is an athlete with a disability and a very good athlete at that. He is even so talented that he can compete with able-bodied athletes. He would have liked to participate in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. However, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) first wanted to study his case because his prostheses might give him an edge. For one thing, he will not be hindered by acidification of calf muscles, nor does he need to fear ankle or Achilles tendon injuries. Moreover, his prostheses are elastic, meaning that once he gets going – which takes him slightly more time than able-bodied athletes – there is a bouncing effect, causing him to run faster. A biomechanical study had to establish his possible advantages. Eventually he was allowed to compete with able-bodied athletes. In 2011 he participated in the regular World Championship in Daegu, South Korea, where he reached the individual 400 meters semifinals. In the summer of 2012, Pistorius represented South Africa at both the Paralympics and the Olympics in London, competing in the individual men's 400m and the 4x400m relay.

Normally one would not consider an individual with such severe disability as someone with an advantage. That both sports officials and his fellow athletes were hesitant about his admission to the Olympic Games in 2008 has to do with the issue of whether his body represents a burden that is the same as that of the bodies of able-bodied athletes. Every athlete has to carry along his or her body. The burden to be transported by them needs to be comparable, otherwise no fair competition is possible. This is why many sports have established divisions based on age, weight, and gender. The division between able-bodied and disabled athletes is also meant to ensure maximally fair competition.