It shouldn't be in the news this frequently, but it's come up again. Pistorius is officially banned from the olympics.
This is not news, because he was already banned. You see, there's something else they do at the Olympics: they ban slow people. That's right. They refuse to let you compete in the Olympics if you are not one of the fastest people in the world. Here are Pistorius' best times:
100 m: 10.91
200 m: 21.58
400 m: 46.56
There are thousands of guys who run 10.9, 21.6, and 46.6, and none of them are filing lawsuits about not being allowed into the Olympics because they aren't fast enough.
It's not fair and it's not their fault, either. I can't run 44 seconds for the 400 and I never will and never had a chance to, just because of my genetics. I can't be held responsible for my genetics, can I? I think they should just choose the people who try the hardest to go to the Olympics.
Even though Pistorius is not a legitimate threat as an Olympic competitor, the issue of whether someone running with prosthetics should be allowed to compete is relevant, because eventually someone else will be running elite times.
I don't think that anyone would argue that Pistorius should just be handed the gold medal if he could, for example, run 37 seconds for 400m. If that were the case, it'd be clear that the prosthetics were an unnatural aid, and he should not compete against athletes who do not have that advantage.
Now they are pretty sure that the prosthetics are in fact an advantage. So the difference between Pistorius running 47s and 37s with the prosthetics is one of scale and not a fundamental difference. As long as the prosthetics are an aid, I don't really see how you could let him compete in the Olympics.
Pistorius is not even competing in the same sport as the rest of the guys. Running around a track using your body is different than running around a track using giant jet-scissors. It has similarities, but roller blading and running have most of the same similarities. You could have a roller blader stand at the start line, wait till the gun goes off, and complete a lap of the track under his own power with the aid of roller blades, but this would not make him a legitimate competitor to Jeremy Wariner.
Wheelchair marathoners clean up against the likes of even The Greatest. You know why? BECAUSE THEY HAVE FUCKING WHEELS! That's why they're not allowed in the Olympic marathon. Instead, wheelchair competitors are invited to compete in the wheelchair race. Pistorius is not being excluded from competition - he is welcome to compete in the Paralympics and holds the world records in his particular category of disability. The only thing he's being excluded from is receiving accolades in a sport in which he does not actually participate.
Official Poll Results:
Most of us are not injured and running. Let us rejoice!
We think that Bolt and El Guerrouj are dirty and that Big Bekele is clean. We're not sure about Seb or Geb.
Kara Goucher wears the pants. Adam carries the baby sling.
If our coach had a lesser opinion of our athletic potential than ourselves, a slim plurality of us would want him or her to let us know.
When given the choice between being the world's best and dominating runner in one distance event or ten billion dollars, we would pick the former...barely.
If we could be any Caltech runner besides ourselves, we would most likely be Ian. Garrett, Katherine, Mark, and Rosen come in second.
Four out of four voters agree: everybody should update his or her log more often. I mean, seriously.
If we could be a world-class runner in one distance event, we'd pick either the 800m, the 1500/Mile, or the Marathon. The 10000m, steeplechase, and ultra-marathon come in second.
The cross-country course at Bush's Pasture Park in Salem, Oregon is more enjoyable than those in Chino, La Mirada, and even Riverside. It's also more enjoyable than "Your Mom," but that's not a legitimate cross-country course.
Markkimarkkonnen and Billy 'Reclaimed Water' Zdon are even money for being the craziest Caltech runners.
"Ribwich" is the most under-utilized nickname for a really skinny runner. "Pork Chop" and "Bones" are pretty good, too.
Alan Webb was more disappointing than Adam Goucher at the 2008 US Olympic Trials.
The 1500/Mile is the most fun distance event to race.
Out of the entire North Field Track Club, Markimarkkonnen is the most likely to fail a gender test.
Katherine should run the 1500 - 5000 double at conferences.
Katherine should focus on the 5000m this track season, based on the Goldilocks Principle (it's juuuuust right.)
Sara Hall, or Both Ryan and Sara At The Same Time
In the past four weeks:
77% of us have consumed alcohol, 77% have used Gatorade, 55% have used Endurox R4, 44% have shaved our legs, have smoked pot and 11% have used EPO.
Tyson Gay is the best 100m runner in the world (right now).
Matt Tegenkamp is the runner most likely to break Bob Kennedy's American 5000m record.
This is a pipe. Also it is Ian's Bones (see right). I
wonder if Ian's hollow bones means he can fly like a bird.
Highway 39 (or some variation) is a totally sweet ride and is the favorite of many.
Alan Webb will get First Place (GOLD, BABY!) at the 2007 Osaka World Athletics Championship!!! (If we are wrong we suck).
This Nerd-Jock Blog is Amazingly Awesome, the best idea ever, but it borders dangerously as a huge waste of time, which is why we're on it, voting.
The Last Stage of the Tour de France is a fine tradition honoring the great acomplishments of the previous weeks' racing.
Most anticipated log: Ian's Exercise Log
We think that Bolt and El Guerrouj are dirty and that Big Bekele is clean. We're not sure about Seb or Geb.
Kara Goucher wears the pants. Adam carries the baby sling.
If our coach had a lesser opinion of our athletic potential than ourselves, a slim plurality of us would want him or her to let us know.
When given the choice between being the world's best and dominating runner in one distance event or ten billion dollars, we would pick the former...barely.
If we could be any Caltech runner besides ourselves, we would most likely be Ian. Garrett, Katherine, Mark, and Rosen come in second.
Four out of four voters agree: everybody should update his or her log more often. I mean, seriously.
If we could be a world-class runner in one distance event, we'd pick either the 800m, the 1500/Mile, or the Marathon. The 10000m, steeplechase, and ultra-marathon come in second.
The cross-country course at Bush's Pasture Park in Salem, Oregon is more enjoyable than those in Chino, La Mirada, and even Riverside. It's also more enjoyable than "Your Mom," but that's not a legitimate cross-country course.
Markkimarkkonnen and Billy 'Reclaimed Water' Zdon are even money for being the craziest Caltech runners.
"Ribwich" is the most under-utilized nickname for a really skinny runner. "Pork Chop" and "Bones" are pretty good, too.
Alan Webb was more disappointing than Adam Goucher at the 2008 US Olympic Trials.
The 1500/Mile is the most fun distance event to race.
Out of the entire North Field Track Club, Markimarkkonnen is the most likely to fail a gender test.
Katherine should run the 1500 - 5000 double at conferences.
Katherine should focus on the 5000m this track season, based on the Goldilocks Principle (it's juuuuust right.)
Sara Hall, or Both Ryan and Sara At The Same Time
In the past four weeks:
77% of us have consumed alcohol, 77% have used Gatorade, 55% have used Endurox R4, 44% have shaved our legs, have smoked pot and 11% have used EPO.
Tyson Gay is the best 100m runner in the world (right now).
Matt Tegenkamp is the runner most likely to break Bob Kennedy's American 5000m record.
This is a pipe. Also it is Ian's Bones (see right). I
wonder if Ian's hollow bones means he can fly like a bird.Highway 39 (or some variation) is a totally sweet ride and is the favorite of many.
Alan Webb will get First Place (GOLD, BABY!) at the 2007 Osaka World Athletics Championship!!! (If we are wrong we suck).
This Nerd-Jock Blog is Amazingly Awesome, the best idea ever, but it borders dangerously as a huge waste of time, which is why we're on it, voting.
The Last Stage of the Tour de France is a fine tradition honoring the great acomplishments of the previous weeks' racing.
Most anticipated log: Ian's Exercise Log
10 comments:
This raises another question - if a dude is not allowed to run because of the "technical" advantage his prosthetics give him, shouldn't this mean that there should be a rule on types of shoes allowed?
It just seems like it might be possible to build shoes with little springs in them or something along the lines of these prosthetic legs, and that it would be an unfair advantage along the same lines. Does anything like this exist? Are there any rules against it?
Shoes with springs:
http://www.ibuildstar.com/NikeShoxBlueYellow.gif
But seriously, I don't think that there are any, or will ever be any track shoes that utilize springs. Maybe some sort of spring like material could be used. I suppose thats somewhat akin to what occurs in distance spikes and trainers with the thick rubber sole. But obviously thats more for our protection than to make us go faster.
nice mark, you're right on.
there are rules for the types of shoes allowed, shoes with springs are IAAF illegal (like those spira shoes and their 'defy the ban!' million-dollar boston marathon challene).
Banned?
Don't underestimate the power of money.
Oh, and wording. Everything in the Wikipedia entry on Nike Shox development suggests that they were designed to act like springs. But in the description of the spike the Shox are only said to provide support and aid proper form.
Can't we all just go back to being nice and naked in the Olympics?
i really, fundamentally fail to understand people who derive utility from winning through some external advantage... like do you really feel good about yourself if you win by taking drugs or wearing shoes with springs? like, wtf?
i think pistorius is a case of someone who is confusing his struggle to accept his disability (resentment for something that is not his fault) with the fight for equality and civil rights (the principle that everyone deserves X basic rights). personally i think that the courts should be dealing with instances of REAL inequity... not someone's personal life issues. he needs to grow up and realize that we all go on, despite the fact that life isn't fair.
That shox sprint spike is very odd. Does a 100m runner's heel ever hit the ground? Seems like a bunch of unnecessary weight to me.
That's a really good point. I bet it's more for look, or for high school kids who don't run on their toes.
Speaking of other unnecessary weight, what about that huge swoosh?
oh, in one of the Pre movies, he tears the swoosh off of an early nike prototype bc of the weight, or the aerodynamics or something.
Post a Comment