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Ruling A Victory For The Disabled

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 20, 2008

The international court's ruling Friday that gives a South African double-amputee the opportunity to compete for an Olympic berth is a victory for all disabled people who long for equality in the able-bodied world.

The issue facing the Court of Arbitration for Sport was whether 21-year-old sprinter Oscar Pistorius, whose legs were amputated when he was less than a year old, has an unfair advantage because of the J-shaped, carbon fiber blades he uses as prosthetics. The court concluded he does not and overturned a ban imposed by the International Association of Athletics Federations.

Pistorius' prosthetics mimic the movement of a human foot and ankle. He wouldn't be able to walk without them, much less run. Even though they are not natural, he still has to muster the speed, energy and stamina to win a race. It's not as if he can wear a jetpack to zoom across the finish line.

The decision is about more than one disabled athlete's struggle. It's about widening the playing field for disabled athletes to reasonably compete against able-bodied athletes, a move that should be encouraged. A few years ago golfer Casey Martin, who suffers from a leg ailment that makes walking extremely painful, won a similar victory that allowed him to use a golf cart in professional tournaments.

Pistorius dreams of competing in the Olympics, either this summer in Beijing or four years later in London. The court's ruling doesn't give him a spot on the South African team, but it gives him a chance to compete for it. And in a world geared toward the able-bodied, that's what any disabled person wants.

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