Lausanne, Switzerland
Double-amputee is eligible for Olympics: The Court of Arbitration for Sport this week ruled that South African runner Oscar Pistorius, whose lower legs have been replaced with high-tech prosthetics, should not be banned from the Beijing Olympics. The decision overturns a January ruling by the International Association of Athletics Foundations. The Lausanne court reviewed the evidence and declared the Cheetah Flex-Foot prosthetics indistinguishable from human legs for the purposes of competition. “I am thrilled with the panel’s findings and hope it silences many of the crazy theories that have circulated about my having an unfair advantage,” said Pistorius. Pistorius, nicknamed “Blade Runner,” was born without fibulas, and had his legs amputated below the knee as an infant. To qualify for the South African Olympic team, he must still shave at least 0.39 seconds off his best 400-meter time.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.