The all-inclusive resort that is the world today gets more inclusive by the minute. Oscar Pistorius, a South African track runner, has been cleared to compete in the Olympic Games by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.Why this is news is because Pistorius is a double amputee. He lost both legs as a child, and uses two carbon fibre blades to get around the track.
The IAAF had banned Pistorius from Olympic competition. According to the Times Online, the IAAF's position was that no one should be allowed to race if they used technical devices to assist them. The court struck down that ruling.
You can easily be accused of discrimination if you don't take the side of a disabled person, but it can't be understated how much of an impact this could have upon sports.
Take performance enhancing drugs. Over past decades, they have been outlawed by sporting commissions everywhere. But now, what happens if a person can show that they are disabled and need the drug in order to perform? Would the runner still be disqualified, or would their performance stand because of their disability? And who decides what is, and is not, a disability worthy of technical or medical assistance? How much assistance is also a sticking point.
It is not certain whether Pistorius will qualify for the Olympics, but one thing is sure: racing as we know it is gone for good. This is a massive loophole which athletes and their coaches can drive a Mack truck through, and every race involving a disabled person will have to come with an equally massive asterisk.
(Photo: Times Online)
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