Had to happen.

[swestrup]

Oscar Pistorius wants to run in the Olympics despite having no legs. The Olympic committee is trying to keep him out because they say his high-tech prostheses give him an unfair advantage over runners with normals legs.

Comments

[ims.livejournal.com]

Happened long since, surely? I seem to recall in 1976 or so a weightlifter wasn't allowed a world record because he was in a wheelchair. And I vaguely recall something about a marathon runner being disqualified some time early in the twentieth century for having taken a car most of the way.

[swestrup]

Yes. The slippery question is one of drawing the lines (if, indeed they should be drawn at all.) The first time they let an archer compete while wearing glasses, they headed down the path to full cyborg contestants.

[azrhey.livejournal.com]

Well archery takes more than good sight. I know people who have 20/20 eye sight and couldn't hit an elephant at 20 paces.

In this case I don't know what to think. Perhaps they should have three sorts of olympics. the handicaped, the 100% natural and the enhanced.*shrug*

[swestrup]

> Well archery takes more than good sight.

Of course, and winning an Olympic marathon event takes more than working legs.

As I said before, its all gotten rather fuzzy, and its only going to get moreso.

[hendrikboom.livejournal.com]

having taken a car

Rosie Ruiz, Boston marathon, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosie_Ruiz

[sps.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I figure he's welcome to compete in the paralympics and the metalympics, but not the olympics, which is for us unmodified schmucks.

[sorceror.livejournal.com]

Heh. Remember how I was reading Cyborg a week or so ago?

[swestrup]

So, what are you reading now? Please tell me its not about an atomic holocaust!