There’s a certain irony about the man who can’t compete in the Olympics because his artificial legs would give him an unfair advantage over the regular athletes! Does that mean that the Paralympians are now faster than the Olympians! Aren’t the Olympics supposed to be the creme de la creme of speed and the Paralympics for crocks who can’t compete on the same terms as “real” sportspeople? This is really confusing to a sports dummy like me who was brought up to believe that disabled people could not go out there and aggressively compete at sport.
Reuters reported earlier this year
“Nightmare visions of athletes using all sorts of mechanical aids to improve performances prompted the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to amend its rules last year.”
Heaven forbid!
It went on to say ‘The IAAF banned technical devices incorporating “springs, wheels or any other element” giving athletes an advantage over their competitors.’ (What about fibreglass vaulting poles then?) You just can’t win can you, as a South African athlete who tested the rule found.
Disabled people used to know their place. But not any more. They climb mountains, go skiing, rafting, yachting, run the New York and countless other marathons, and indulge in all manner of sporting pastimes. A special Olympian with Down syndrome is about to attempt the Sky Tower Challenge. Is there no end to what uppity crips and blindies will get up to these days?
Time was when sports reporters were very scornful about Paralympics and disability sports generally, claiming that they weren’t really sports. They never got any mainstream sports coverage. They still don’t get enough, especially when they are winning and the so-called mainstream sports are losing bigtime.
Yet I heard a sports reporter on radio New Zealand just the other day extolling wheelchair rugby, and the wheelblacks (always makes me think of bootblacks for the 21st century,) as great spectator sport. He described with great relish the vigorous and sometimes destructive contact between players. And how they fall out of their chairs, get put back in and continue pursuing a sport every bit as aggressive, macho and physical as its namesake. There was a very strong hint of bloodlust in his enthusiasm.
But back to the guy with the techno racing legs. I think he should be able to race in the Olympics. It would be great to see a crip win in the “real” games. It could be the start of a sporting revolution. I for one would cheer him on.
