Olympics

[HarvestmanMan]

Anyone else catch the double amputee in the 400-meter run? Of course, my mind immediately thought of Emi when I saw him.

[Xanatos]

I despise the Olympics for the nationalistic, divisive, substance-lacking, overhyped garbage that they truly are...But good for that person.

[ubergeneral]

there is a pretty big discussion about him right now. People are saying he has an unfair advantage.

The jury is still out on that, however, one thing is for sure. He says he's the fastest man on no legs.

Emi called, she wants her title back.

source:
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/spo ... ed-647379/

[Xanatos]

there is a pretty big discussion about him right now. People are saying he has an unfair advantage.

The jury is still out on that, however, one thing is for sure. He says he's the fastest man on no legs.

Emi called, she wants her title back.

Unfair advantage? Fuck those people. They all have the unfair advantage of legs.

[WorldlyWiseman]

there is a pretty big discussion about him right now. People are saying he has an unfair advantage.

The jury is still out on that, however, one thing is for sure. He says he's the fastest man on no legs.

Emi called, she wants her title back.

Unfair advantage? Fuck those people. They all have the unfair advantage of legs.

When the debate about Pistorius first came up, a lot was made about the fact that his feet - and therefore his running form - could be improved in a laboratory rather than through plain old training. In light of the piece that Wired did a few months back about how much athletes rely on scientific feedback in their own training, I guess it's a moot point now?

[RecoiL]

All that can be done in a lab is getting his prostetics to behave closer to real legs. They don't have and eternal powersource, therefore all they have to rely on is springing action, something legs naturally do in addition to the muscle power provided by the calves.

Or something. Don't mind me, just talking about stuff I don't understand.

The point stands though, that his fellow runners accept him and even say they feel inspierd by him. I see no reason other people should not do the same.

[stanman237]

I personally think that him running in the regular Olympics is a feat, no pun intended. Laboratories can only make the legs more realistic in terms of operations. However, I agree that the kind of legs he is using should not be allowed in the paraolympics because its an unfair advantage to people that have the money to get a new set legs each year.

[Xanatos]

because its an unfair advantage to people that have the money to get a new set legs each year.

Rich people shouldn't be allowed to shop where I shop because it's an unfair advantage that they have the money to buy things I don't.

[Helbereth]

because its an unfair advantage to people that have the money to get a new set legs each year.

Rich people shouldn't be allowed to shop where I shop because it's an unfair advantage that they have the money to buy things I don't.

Why are you shopping there if you can't afford what they're selling?

[Xanatos]

because its an unfair advantage to people that have the money to get a new set legs each year.

Rich people shouldn't be allowed to shop where I shop because it's an unfair advantage that they have the money to buy things I don't.

Why are you shopping there if you can't afford what they're selling?

I don't shop.

[Helbereth]

I don't shop.

Do you carry your five-finger-discount card?

[Xanatos]

I don't shop.

Do you carry your five-finger-discount card?

Occasionally. My whole bookshelf got filled that way.

[themocaw]

You guys do realize that Pistorius' running blades are, like, 1970s technology, right?

Also: think of them not as "legs" but as sports equipment, like skis, skates, shoes, bows, pistols, horses. . . Olympians utilize top of the line equipment all the time, and the IOC regulates their designs. Why not do the same for running blades?

[ShinigamiKenji]

You guys do realize that Pistorius' running blades are, like, 1970s technology, right?

Also: think of them not as "legs" but as sports equipment, like skis, skates, shoes, bows, pistols, horses. . . Olympians utilize top of the line equipment all the time, and the IOC regulates their designs. Why not do the same for running blades?

Problem is, when there's a ski competition, everybody is using skis. Obviously, only Pistorius uses running blades. It may be designed to be more elastic or resistant than a normal leg, with the benefit that it doesn't get tired and may weigh less. But there's the argument he doesn't have that muscular explosion in the beginning of the race. He could have an edge in long races, such as marathon, but not in 100m or something like this. At least, that's how I think, dunno if it's the truth.

[Xanatos]

You guys do realize that Pistorius' running blades are, like, 1970s technology, right?

Also: think of them not as "legs" but as sports equipment, like skis, skates, shoes, bows, pistols, horses. . . Olympians utilize top of the line equipment all the time, and the IOC regulates their designs. Why not do the same for running blades?

Problem is, when there's a ski competition, everybody is using skis. Obviously, only Pistorius uses running blades. It may be designed to be more elastic or resistant than a normal leg, with the benefit that it doesn't get tired and may weigh less. But there's the argument he doesn't have that muscular explosion in the beginning of the race. He could have an edge in long races, such as marathon, but not in 100m or something like this. At least, that's how I think, dunno if it's the truth.

He still uses muscles to move the blades. He still gets tired.

All this nonsense amounts to is "He has better legs, waaaaah!" and if they want to complain that his legs are better than theirs, they'll just have to cancel the Olympics because, big surprise, there are always going to be people better equipped than others. That's how athletes and competitions in general work.