Posted by dmcnulty | Posted in bionic leg, Cheetah, cyborg, Olympics | Posted on 12:54 AM
They were too soft, Brauckmann told Ari Clausen, an engineer at Ossur. Oscar would to break them.
Clausen didn’t believe it. His team had factored in every force Pistorius could possibly apply to the carbon fiber. So the next day, Pistorius put them on, jogged a bit, and cracked them. Clausen built a new set; that afternoon he took the South Africans to a track to try out the replacements — Brauckmann had doubts about the new pair as well, but Pistorius wanted to give them a try. He strapped in, stretched a bit, and started to jog.
When Pistorius falls while running, it’s less like a stumble and more like a skiing wipeout. A few months before the Reykjavik trip, at a training day in South Africa, one of his blades split with a sound like a snapping two-by-four. He hit the rubber track going about 25 miles an hour, and bounced and slid 10 yards before stopping. He didn’t break any bones, but the road burn took weeks to heal.
This time, as Pistorius started running he heard some creaking noises from his right leg — something felt wrong. Sure enough, the blade splintered. But this time Pistorius was able to pull up and slow down. He avoided the fall and hopped back to a chagrined Clausen, who tossed the prototypes into his huge tundra-and-magma- field-crawling Dodge Ram pickup and headed back to the workshop.
What bothered me the most while reading the people who oppose people like Oscar Pistorius from running in the Olympic Games is that they don't consider these challenges. Cyborgs are treated like second class citizens out of fear. I understand the difficulty in defining this gray area in athletic competition --- when does a limb go past the point of aiding one's mobility to giving someone super powers? However, the international sporting committee should welcome the Paralympics into the Olympics, in my opinion. I think it would make a beautiful statement about harmony and providing more attention to athletes with disabilities. Plus it would be rad for the world to understand what a cyborg is.
Those are my two cents. For now,
Dana
I don't know if it is fair for people like Oscar Pistorius from running in the Olympic Games. While it is true they do have challenges to overcome, their equipment does give them an unfair advantage. The Olympics are supposed to measure human abilities, without the aid of mechanics or other means. That's why drugs are not allowed. I know it's not the same thing, but people have the tendency to push the boundaries when it comes to rules. I mean, there are extremely strict protocol for even the uniforms used. So where would the "replace" end and the "enhancement" begin?
Yes, exactly. It's definitely a gray area. Reading both points of view definitely left me confused. The main point for allowing someone like Pistorius to run in the Olympics (or better yet, make the Olympics create disabled athletes only events for increased exposure) is that equipment like tennis shoes or other track gear (pole vaults) enable athletes to succeed in their pursuits. There is no price limit on how much a country can spend on an athlete's shoe; does that not present unfair advantages?
It's an interesting argument. I see your point. It's not fair to say drugs advance athletes the same way as bionic limbs do, but these limbs can become or perhaps even have become too advanced now to be solely viewed as an aid. Who will decide when that line is crossed and what will the qualifications be? I think Oscar Pistorius has an uphill battle ahead of him.
Thanks for commenting! It's nice to know someone reads this other than Prashant. :)