We Have The Technology! Court Rules Double Amputee Eligible For Beijing

Photo: Michael Steele/Getty Images

Other than finally washing my Officially Licensed Original Game Worn Ottawa Senators Athletic Supporter, one of the small joys I derive from the NHL offseason (what "other" series?? What the hell are you talking about??), is the freedom it affords me to opine, soliloquize, and otherwise wax poetic about whatever sporting tidbit happens to catch my attention. After all, as I've noted in the profile you can see to your immediate right, I enjoy ALL of the meats of our cultural sports stew (except cricket. I'll never understand cricket).

This is one such tidbit:

Lausanne, Switzerland (Sports Network) - Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius will have a chance to qualify for the Beijing Olympics after the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned a January ruling by track and field's governing body that said prosthetic blades give the South African an unfair advantage over able-bodied runners.

Personally, I think this is a fantastic idea. Think of the implications! Who knows, Mr. Pistorius' pioneering spirit may well open the door to even more disabled athletes (like, say...Steve Downie?) and allow them to enjoy the full Olympic experience.

And to those nations who will inevitably suffer the embarassment of having one of your athletes thrown out of the upcoming Beijing games for using "a performance enhancing substance" because they misread the label on a bottle of cough syrup, I say to you, tough shit! You should have packed some carbon fiber. And a hacksaw.

Pistorius Wins Right To Try For Olympic Spot [TSN.ca]