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Original poster

Random Oscar Pistorius Question

152 replies

YoullLaughAboutItOneDay · 31/08/2012 13:59

I have a question about Oscar Pistorius I am hoping someone can answer. All my Google search terms just return general articles and I am going a bit Paralympics crazy with all my background questions about the events, classifications and athletes so I am desperate to know!

He competes as T44 (single amputee) even though he is classified T43 (double amputee). Is this because the single amputee category is faster and more competitive?

Also, he had a big legal battle to compete in the Olympics over whether his carbon fibre legs gave him an advantage. Was there ever any similar controversy over him competing as T44?

OP posts:
MrsRobertDuvallHasRosacea · 02/09/2012 21:51

Sour grapes methinks.

Apparently he could have the longer ones but was happy with his own.

Ah well....but well done to Oliveira.

OodHousekeeping · 02/09/2012 21:51

I thought it was that rules should be tightened up as people are pushing the limits with blade length.

StillSquiffy · 02/09/2012 21:54

I know it's all by the by now, but I was at the stadium yesterday and the official compere explained that the only reason he was in T44 was because there were not enough athletes in the world competing at the T43 level, so he is forced to compete with people with less severe disability.

msrisotto · 02/09/2012 21:59

Cripes it wasn't very sportsmanly to criticise his competitor on TV straight after the race! I've no idea how right he is, the blades to look long under the knee but that was not the time or place.

Meglet · 02/09/2012 21:59

They looked longer and skinnier than his.

SoupDragon · 02/09/2012 22:00

I thought it was more about tightening the rules than an accusation of cheating.

Original poster
YoullLaughAboutItOneDay · 02/09/2012 22:01

To women. Go Steph!

OP posts:
msrisotto · 02/09/2012 22:04

Apparently if Oscar had run the world record breaking time he's capable of then he would have won. Sour grapes.

heyannie · 02/09/2012 22:23

He reminded me a bit of Victoria Pendleton in that interview. But I love her too :D

bisjaralympics · 02/09/2012 23:06

They said on C4 that someone had watched the race and counted number of strides - OP 46, AO 49 so stride length can't be the answer.

peeriebear · 03/09/2012 00:10

I think his argument was that though the longer blades do pass the regulations, they shouldn't as any runner can make themselves taller and hence give themselves a longer stride and an advantage. I assume that as he doesn't take advantage of this he considers it cheating- the outburst was very unlike him! I hope he gives a calmer interview tomorrow or he's going to look like a very sore loser, especially as his stride count was lower.
When is the medal ceremony? I have visions of a scrum for the gold podium (sure Pistorius is too much of a sportsman for that but all eyes will be on his conduct- will he shake hands etc!)

bisjaralympics · 03/09/2012 00:14

But if AO took more strides than OP then stride length cannot be the issue. It must be that AO simply ran faster. If stride length was an issue then AO would have needed to take less or same strides as OP.

Medal ceremony was tonight but C4 didn't show it. Not at all impressed by the paucity of C4 coverage.

peeriebear · 03/09/2012 00:32

That's why I hope he reviews the footage with his team and gives another interview with a clear head. His stride count was lower, therefore his argument about stride length doesn't stand.
You know there are three more channels showing back to back coverage, bar a few intervals? We had 555 on all evening until I realised I actually wanted to see this race on Ch4 so I'd get the studio commentary too.

mellen · 03/09/2012 06:38

He made a comment on twitter last night:
Congratulating Alan of Brazil for his 200m win.. The fastest last 80m I have ever seen to take it on the line. pic! pic.twitter.com/duS98A3K
So it sounds like he might have reconsidered a bit.

LeeCoakley · 03/09/2012 11:30

I was there last night! Magical! David Weir - you rock!

I think Pistorius will reconsider his outburst. He can't have it all ways. He competes in the able-bodied Olympics stressing that blades don't give him an advantage so can't really accuse Olivera of the same thing.

titchy · 03/09/2012 11:40

Squiffy - he has to compete with people with a more severe disability not less! T43 (Oscar) is a more severely disabled category than T44 which he runs in. (Although surely double amputees have an advantage as they're more balanced than athletes with one leg and one blade?)

Kewcumber · 03/09/2012 11:47

"Although surely double amputees have an advantage as they're more balanced than athletes with one leg and one blade?" - thats debateable and double amputees get a slower start than single and find dealing with the bends harder therefore tend to do better at the longer distances.

(armchair expert here)

floatingquoter · 03/09/2012 12:01

I have sympathy to the extent that it seems almost impossible to work out FAIR gradings for disabled. (Some think Oscars grade is wrong)

manicinsomniac · 03/09/2012 12:36

It must be so hard to work out what's fair when you're dealing with adjustments to the narutal human body.

I have a (pretty knowledgeable) friend who says it's unfair that Pistorius was allowed to compete in the regular olympics because his blades were more advantageous than legs (can't cramp, faster etc). My argument was that, if it was such an advantage, why didn't he win? But then there's natural human variation to consider as well.

But yeah, he shouldn't complain about a perceived advantage in blade length if if is true that he has an advantage by having the blades at all.

CaroleService · 03/09/2012 13:00

Pisstofforius.

He has more or less apologised today though.

PercyFilth · 03/09/2012 13:02

It's not "sour grapes". Sour grapes is when you don't get something, and then pretend that you didn't want it anyway.

He's just a bad loser.

EmmananaOrangeandGold · 03/09/2012 13:45

I thought Pistorious was allowed to compete in able-bodied games because he argued that his blades didn't give an advantage? If so, I can't see how he can protest about Oliveira's legs that look the same total length but a lighter design. If he'd run as fast in the final as he had in the semi, he would have won easily.

What a poor loser. Time will tell if his name will become synonymous as the first guy to enter boh the Olympics and Paralympics, or as the petulant bad loser who took the shine off the winners moment of glory.

Nancy66 · 03/09/2012 13:46

yeah, i agree. Shame he wasn't more gracious.

I expect he'll win in the 400 and it will all be forgotten

ceebeegeebies · 03/09/2012 14:00

I agree - it seems such a shame that he appears to have undone all the good work he has put in over the last few years to become such a positive role-model Sad

Am sure he is sorry now but no apology can take back what he did last night.

I really hope that he does still get remembered for the positive stuff he has done Smile

And, on a much more trivial note, did anyone see the medal ceremony? Mmmm, Oscar in spectacles (I have a bit of a thing for hot men in glasses Grin)

LulaTheOneAndOnlyMrsPistorius · 03/09/2012 14:17

ahem