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Sprinter Pistorius to concentrate on London Olympics
Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius has virtually given up his fight to compete at the Beijing Olympics and is concentrating on 2012 Lonon Games.
- Associated Press
- Updated: January 31, 2008 10:04 AM IST
Read Time:4 min
Rome:
Track and field's governing body, the IAAF, ruled earlier this month that the South African was ineligible to compete at the Olympics or any other sanctioned able-bodied event because his "Cheetah" prosthetic blades give him a technical advantage.
He plans to appeal the decision, but given the long process he holds little hope of appearing at this year's Beijing Olympic Games.
The IAAF ruling was based on studies it commissioned by German professor Gert-Peter Brueggemann, who conducted tests on the prosthetic limbs and said they gave Pistorius a mechanical edge.
Pistorius, who was in Rome on Tuesday to receive the Nestore 2008 special award for his commitment to solidarity and sports, urged the IAAF to write rules that make clear exactly under what circumstances he would be able to compete.
Pistorius still has not achieved the South African qualification time for the Olympics and is unable to compete in able-body races that would give him the chance to meet the mark in the 400 meters. Pistorius' best times to date would not put him in Olympic medal contention.
Pistorius again disputed the claims that the prosthetic limbs give him an advantage, saying that US experts have come to different conclusions from the same data analyzed in Germany.
He also said that the company that manufacturers the prosthetics have said that the design is passive - as opposed to an active, bionic prosthetic - meaning it does not produce more energy than is input.
Pistorius also dismissed the notion that athletes might amputate limbs to improve their times with prosthetic devices.
He cited the example of a South African runner who lost a leg and returned to running with a prosthetic with a 100-metre time that was slower by 1.1 seconds.
Two Italian International Olympic Committee members at attended an appearance by Pistorius in Milan on Monday, Ottavio Cinquanta and Franco Carraro, said the IOC had no jurisdiction in the dispute and it was up to the governing body to issue technical standards.
Carraro, however, said current rules were written with able-bodied athletes in mind and did not take into account a "phenomenon" like Pistorius.
But for Pistorius the fight goes on.
Sprinter Pistorius pledges to fight on
Rome
Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius has virtually given up his fight to compete at the Beijing Olympics and is concentrating on running at the 2012 London Games.
Track and field's governing body, the IAAF, ruled earlier this month that the South African was ineligible to compete at the Olympics or any other sanctioned able-bodied event because his "Cheetah" prosthetic blades give him a technical advantage.
He plans to appeal the decision, but given the long process he holds little hope of appearing at this year's Beijing Olympic Games.
The IAAF ruling was based on studies it commissioned by German professor Gert-Peter Brueggemann, who conducted tests on the prosthetic limbs and said they gave Pistorius a mechanical edge.
Pistorius, who was in Rome on Tuesday to receive the Nestore 2008 special award for his commitment to solidarity and sports, urged the IAAF to write rules that make clear exactly under what circumstances he would be able to compete.
Pistorius still has not achieved the South African qualification time for the Olympics and is unable to compete in able-body races that would give him the chance to meet the mark in the 400 meters. Pistorius' best times to date would not put him in Olympic medal contention.
Pistorius again disputed the claims that the prosthetic limbs give him an advantage, saying that US experts have come to different conclusions from the same data analyzed in Germany.
He also said that the company that manufacturers the prosthetics have said that the design is passive - as opposed to an active, bionic prosthetic - meaning it does not produce more energy than is input.
Pistorius also dismissed the notion that athletes might amputate limbs to improve their times with prosthetic devices.
He cited the example of a South African runner who lost a leg and returned to running with a prosthetic with a 100-metre time that was slower by 1.1 seconds.
Two Italian International Olympic Committee members at attended an appearance by Pistorius in Milan on Monday, Ottavio Cinquanta and Franco Carraro, said the IOC had no jurisdiction in the dispute and it was up to the governing body to issue technical standards.
Carraro, however, said current rules were written with able-bodied athletes in mind and did not take into account a "phenomenon" like Pistorius.
But for Pistorius the fight goes on.
Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius has virtually given up his fight to compete at the Beijing Olympics and is concentrating on running at the 2012 London Games.Track and field's governing body, the IAAF, ruled earlier this month that the South African was ineligible to compete at the Olympics or any other sanctioned able-bodied event because his "Cheetah" prosthetic blades give him a technical advantage.
He plans to appeal the decision, but given the long process he holds little hope of appearing at this year's Beijing Olympic Games.
The IAAF ruling was based on studies it commissioned by German professor Gert-Peter Brueggemann, who conducted tests on the prosthetic limbs and said they gave Pistorius a mechanical edge.
Pistorius, who was in Rome on Tuesday to receive the Nestore 2008 special award for his commitment to solidarity and sports, urged the IAAF to write rules that make clear exactly under what circumstances he would be able to compete.
Pistorius still has not achieved the South African qualification time for the Olympics and is unable to compete in able-body races that would give him the chance to meet the mark in the 400 meters. Pistorius' best times to date would not put him in Olympic medal contention.
Pistorius again disputed the claims that the prosthetic limbs give him an advantage, saying that US experts have come to different conclusions from the same data analyzed in Germany.
He also said that the company that manufacturers the prosthetics have said that the design is passive - as opposed to an active, bionic prosthetic - meaning it does not produce more energy than is input.
Pistorius also dismissed the notion that athletes might amputate limbs to improve their times with prosthetic devices.
He cited the example of a South African runner who lost a leg and returned to running with a prosthetic with a 100-metre time that was slower by 1.1 seconds.
Two Italian International Olympic Committee members at attended an appearance by Pistorius in Milan on Monday, Ottavio Cinquanta and Franco Carraro, said the IOC had no jurisdiction in the dispute and it was up to the governing body to issue technical standards.
Carraro, however, said current rules were written with able-bodied athletes in mind and did not take into account a "phenomenon" like Pistorius.
But for Pistorius the fight goes on.
Sprinter Pistorius pledges to fight on
Rome
Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius has virtually given up his fight to compete at the Beijing Olympics and is concentrating on running at the 2012 London Games.
Track and field's governing body, the IAAF, ruled earlier this month that the South African was ineligible to compete at the Olympics or any other sanctioned able-bodied event because his "Cheetah" prosthetic blades give him a technical advantage.
He plans to appeal the decision, but given the long process he holds little hope of appearing at this year's Beijing Olympic Games.
The IAAF ruling was based on studies it commissioned by German professor Gert-Peter Brueggemann, who conducted tests on the prosthetic limbs and said they gave Pistorius a mechanical edge.
Pistorius, who was in Rome on Tuesday to receive the Nestore 2008 special award for his commitment to solidarity and sports, urged the IAAF to write rules that make clear exactly under what circumstances he would be able to compete.
Pistorius still has not achieved the South African qualification time for the Olympics and is unable to compete in able-body races that would give him the chance to meet the mark in the 400 meters. Pistorius' best times to date would not put him in Olympic medal contention.
Pistorius again disputed the claims that the prosthetic limbs give him an advantage, saying that US experts have come to different conclusions from the same data analyzed in Germany.
He also said that the company that manufacturers the prosthetics have said that the design is passive - as opposed to an active, bionic prosthetic - meaning it does not produce more energy than is input.
Pistorius also dismissed the notion that athletes might amputate limbs to improve their times with prosthetic devices.
He cited the example of a South African runner who lost a leg and returned to running with a prosthetic with a 100-metre time that was slower by 1.1 seconds.
Two Italian International Olympic Committee members at attended an appearance by Pistorius in Milan on Monday, Ottavio Cinquanta and Franco Carraro, said the IOC had no jurisdiction in the dispute and it was up to the governing body to issue technical standards.
Carraro, however, said current rules were written with able-bodied athletes in mind and did not take into account a "phenomenon" like Pistorius.
But for Pistorius the fight goes on.
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