Technical specifications need tuning
Paralympic prostheses
WELL done to all the athletes at the Paralympics.
Oscar Pistorius has been a pioneer in the field and a silver medal in the 200m is not to be looked down on. We all wanted our man to win but win fairly.
It is clear that it is a combination of man and technology. I wonder if the Olympic officials look at height parameters?
The average human being has a arm span to height ratio that is 1:1, if you are “normal” that is. This needs to apply to the blade/prosthesis design factors too.
It is clear from his stride that Alan Oliveira, who won the 200m, had longer and lighter blades. Therefore a virtual mass ratio needs to apply too. What would their mass be with limbs? The BMI (body mass index) needs to be balanced with extra blade weight if required. This is all new and exciting. Don’t cry over spilt milk, these guys are pioneers and need to be praised for their achievements even with the aid of technology. Oscar had to “detune” his blades for the able-bodied event not to have any advantage over the able-bodied people.
The same needs to apply in the para-event. As pioneers they need to set the standard. I guess the organisers may have missed this point.
If they are going to have no rules in the para-event, we may have folks on stilt-type blades with higher stride ratios flying ahead of the average.
Well done to Oliveira – I am just curious to know what his arm span to height ratio was in comparison to Oscar’s?
Then their mass comparison? Like with the Grands Prix, it’s “man and machine” that make the winning combination, with these guys it’s “man and blade” technology. Now with the Grands Prix you have weight and BHP limits, the same principle needs to apply here.
Alan looked like he was on steroids in comparison to the rest of the pack. Was he or are his blades just better? I doubt that I will be able to walk 100m on stilts or blades, let alone run the pace these folks achieve. But when there is a price on a gold medal the technology may have the edge.
If both men had to run on their stumps on a sand pit track my money would be on Oscar, if we were allowed to bet. I wonder what the bookies odds were and what their bank balances look like today? They say there is always a bet on somewhere!
Nobody likes it when their hopes are dashed, but then this is where sportsmanship needs to triumph over a setback. Learn from it.
To all the South Africans who were behind our team, keep up the spirit and don’t deny Oliveira his achievement regardless of any officialdom oversight.
Factors to consider for future races: arm span-height ratio, and blade shape and weight limits.