I'm sure that no amount of training - or steroids, for that matter - could enable me to run 400 meters in less than 50 seconds. I'm also sure that if I lost both of my legs below the knees, I wouldn't even try.
Which is why Oscar Pistorius' quest to compete in the Olympic 400 meter race is so mind-blowing, so impressive, even if he came up short for the Beijing games. But in light of yesterday's post about the Tour de Lance, I thought I'd throw Oscar's story into the discussion.
I'm not saying that it'd be easier to sprint with carbon-fiber plates where your tibia and fibula are supposed to be. But if you don't think cyclists should get to take performance-enhancing substances, do you think runners should be allowed to compete with space-age manufactured materials in place of limbs against runners who have to use the tendons, ligaments, bones and muscles with which they were born?
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6 comments:
i think you should drop this.
any other news to blog on!?
p.s. it may enter your stream of consciousness that performance enhancing drugs/steroids, etc. are ILLEGAL and also that because people are taking them now and breaking all sorts of old records (baseball, running, etc.) it really causes controversy in sports...illegal, however, is more of an argument....getting surgery, wearing contacts, or whatever other stupid arguments you make don't outweigh that fact.
no response?
Just following your directions in your first comment, to drop the subject and move on to the next one.
Although I don't think legal/illegal is an issue. Some of the substances are legal in general, just banned from sport. And the law isn't always the most reasonable barometer.
following my directions?!
i was laughing out loud with that.
thanks, though. 1/10000 people listening to me isn't bad, right?
i read about this in the Times a few months ago and couldn't decide how i felt. i'm still confused, mostly because i havent read all the research examining whether or not he has an advantage - i saw some cool graphics in the article that tried to simplify the mechanics, but it still went over my head a bit. i still think he is amazing and find myself wanting to root for him though, whatever advantage he may have.
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