An Amputee Sprinter: Is He Disabled or Too-Abled?

Interesting! Love it. I'm going to be watching when he busts through this obstacle -- and he will, or the next guy will, or the next guy. That's what it's all about.

Can't wait to see what the next 10 years has in store for sports.

It's so exciting.

My mind is not fixed on any one view in this area yet. I just want to see what happens!

I remember seeing Cheetahs in the Paraolympics (love love love the Paraolympics!) and they are cool cool cool. Couldn't wipe the grin from my face for a solid week. Couldn't shut up about it.

I do think, that regardless of all the resistance - the times they are a'changing. Eventually, enhancements of this sort will be thoroughly accepted and not even blinked at. We will be on to other things.

Low play when someone uses the old "retaining the purity of sport" card.

He IS a quality athlete.

A lot depends on what you think makes an athlete. And what is sport.

I'm reminded of the French cyclists insisting that chemotherapy drugs were performance enhancers.

Bumping this to update:

An athlete has been banned from the Olympics bc of his Cheetahs.

Made me think of this article from long ago.

Wild. Will try to find the 'new' article .

I read that article a few days ago and it appeared to me, from the diagrams, that this athlete does have an advantage because of the spring and bounce he gets out of the blocks from his Cheetahs.

The irony of it is ridiculous.

Yeah, it is pretty funny.

Except for that athlete! Ooo that would suck.

I applaud and love seeing what's now technologically possible for an anatomically challenged athlete who can be assisted in this way. My joy abounds for humanity over this accomplishment of science-and-human-athletics; however, this doesn't cloud my awareness that they ironically now could have a theoretical advantage as these mechanically-assisted limbs do not fatigue as do human muscle, tendons and bone. Not to mention the added spring and bounce of the J-shaped 'blades' offer over the lower human leg.

Not sure how I would advise the Olympic committee to accept this. They have their respective hands full keeping up with doping, steroids and other enhancement issues. What can the proper solution be? I want these athletes in the competition somehow but the question is how can it be done fairly? These Olympic committees are notoriously uneven in their keeping up with medical science and often are late or negligent as to how to properly and judiciously resolve such issues.