Article

Amputee runner on the verge of making history

Written by Adam Jacobs

Topic: SportsPublished March 14, 2007
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Oscar Pistorius is a 20-year old South African Paralympic runner known as “The Fastest Thing on No Legs” and the "Blade-Runner". After having both of his legs amputated below the knee when he was only 11-months old, Oscar has exemplified the astounding spirit of these challenged athletes. Oscar is sponsored by Ossur and with the aid of their Cheetah Flex-Foot prosthetics, Oscar has ran his his way to multiple Paralympic gold medals and set world records in the 100, 200 and 400m events. He has also gone on to break his own world records 19 times in a single year and has successfully competed against able-bodied runners. In addition, his 400m Paralympic world record would have been fast enough to win a gold medal at every able-bodied Olympics until 1932 and Tom Hanks is now looking to produce a movie about Oscar's life story. Having already attained unparalleled success, Oscar is now on the verge of making history once again – but this time by becoming the first amputee to ever compete in the able-bodied Olympics. However, even if Oscar is able to run a qualifying time, he could still sadly be denied the opportunity to compete in the Olympics because he has attracted a number of critics who believe his prosthetics provide him with an unfair advantage. No able-bodied sports federation, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has ever been forced to consider rules for athletes with prosthetics. As the IOC struggles to make decision, Oscar has kept his head-up and pushed forward despite the uncertainty that surrounds his future. Download the podcast (link below) to hear my exclusive interview with Oscar where we discuss his life, historic achievements, the controversy, how he deals with the critics and the very real possibility of him redefining society’s concept of human potential. nclick here

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About the Author

Adam Jacobs is the Editor-in-Chief of TheFinalSprint.com (TFS) - the Internet's premier running, fitness and nutrition publication.

Whether you are a seasoned veteran, just looking to get in shape, a track coach, race director, a fan or even a dominating marathon runner - The Final Sprint is the place for you.

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