Amputee Sprinter Wins Olympic Appeal to Compete

Slashdot | Amputee Sprinter Wins Olympic Appeal to Compete

“Oscar Pistorius, a 21-year-old South African double-amputee sprinter, has won his appeal filed with the Court of Arbitration for Sport. This overturns a ban imposed by the International Association of Athletics Federations, and allows Mr. Pistorius the chance to compete against other able-bodied athletes for a chance at a place on the South African team for the Beijing Olympics. He currently holds the 400-meter Paralympic world sprinting record, but must improve on his time by 1.01 seconds to meet the Olympic qualification standard. However, even if Pistorius fails to get the qualifying time, South African selectors could add Oscar to the Olympic 1,600-meter relay squad.”

Read the whole thing at The Associated Press: Amputee runner wins right to try for Olympic spot

The IAAF based its January decision on studies by German professor Gert-Peter Brueggemann, who said the J-shaped “Cheetah” blades were energy efficient.
Pistorius’ lawyers countered with independent tests conducted by a team led by MIT professor Hugh M. Herr that claimed to show he doesn’t gain any advantage over able-bodied runners.
CAS said the IAAF failed to prove that Pistorius’ running blades give him an advantage.
“The panel was not persuaded that there was sufficient evidence of any metabolic advantage in favor of a double-amputee using the Cheetah Flex-Foot,” CAS said. “Furthermore, the CAS panel has considered that the IAAF did not prove that the biomechanical effects of using this particular prosthetic device gives Oscar Pistorius an advantage over other athletes not using the device.”
Pistorius was born without fibulas — the long, thin outer bone between the knee and ankle — and was 11 months old when his legs were amputated below the knee.
Pistorius’ lawyer was thrilled by the verdict.
“He simply has the chance now to compete fairly and equally,” Jeffrey Kessler told The Associated Press. “We are particularly pleased that the decision is unanimous.”

Indians Find U.S. at Fault in Food Cost… duh!

I find this very interesting… especially as India seems to be going the way of becoming the next America, sadly, yet they still seem to think it is ok cause they can blame the US. But then again, economics is just another fiction to push one’s power agenda. Saying, for example, that canada consumes too much energy per capita without taking into account distance and climate is silly. Yes, canadians should live closer together, stop buying food from far away, and use more (and have more) public transit (we all should). THEN factor in bio-regional issues such as temperature and moisture and distance, and then come up with an energy consumption we can work with to improve things… not just get into pissing matches over.

Indians Find U.S. at Fault in Food Cost - New York Times

NEW DELHI — Instead of blaming India and other developing nations for the rise in food prices, Americans should rethink their energy policy — and go on a diet.

That has been the response, basically, of a growing number of politicians, economists and academics in this country, who are angry at statements by top United States officials that India’s rising prosperity is to blame for food inflation.

The debate has sometimes devolved into what sounded like petty playground taunts over who are the real gluttons devouring the world’s resources.

For instance, Pradeep S. Mehta, secretary general of the center for international trade, economics and the environment of CUTS International, an independent research institute based here, said that if Americans slimmed down to the weight of middle-class Indians, “many hungry people in sub-Saharan Africa would find food on their plates.”

He added, archly, that the money spent in the United States on liposuction to get rid of fat from excess consumption could be funneled to feed famine victims.

Lynn and larz

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