Double Amputee to race in able-bodied world-clase sprint.
Oscar Pistorius from South Africa is to race in the 400m against the current Olympic champ and the world record holder?
Anyhow, this guy is really fast, he's been an amputee since an infant when he was missing some bones in his lower legs... He's been pretty much uncontested in speed among amputees for some time, and the extensions he uses are pretty common.
It's actually less common for the alternate athletics guys to beat the speeds that adult amputees have, so it's kinda double amazing he's so fast. My family has a friend who's one of the top long-distance chair racers, he's the same age as my sister (just sixteen) so that's saying alot. When he's not in school, he has to compete against adults who are in his class, and that's tough.
It's neat that these guys are getting recognition now, and being allowed to compete with the passive response prosthetics.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2007-07-12 07:57 am (UTC)Oscar Pistorius from South Africa is to race in the 400m against the current Olympic champ and the world record holder?
Anyhow, this guy is really fast, he's been an amputee since an infant when he was missing some bones in his lower legs... He's been pretty much uncontested in speed among amputees for some time, and the extensions he uses are pretty common.
It's actually less common for the alternate athletics guys to beat the speeds that adult amputees have, so it's kinda double amazing he's so fast. My family has a friend who's one of the top long-distance chair racers, he's the same age as my sister (just sixteen) so that's saying alot. When he's not in school, he has to compete against adults who are in his class, and that's tough.
It's neat that these guys are getting recognition now, and being allowed to compete with the passive response prosthetics.