"Blade Runner" tested in Cologne, Germany

[Ryan]

An independent study was carried out in Cologne, Germany at the start of this week on the performance of the prosthetics of Paralympic champion athlete Oscar Pistorius (RSA).

Following initial research carried out in July during a 400m race in Rome between Oscar Pistorius and able-boded athletes, the IAAF found that there was evidence to suggest that an athlete with prosthetics performed in a different way to an able bodied athlete, so agreed with Oscar on the need for the further testing in Cologne Sports University under the responsibility of Professor Peter Bruggemann.

Oscar was tested on Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 November with six other able-bodied athletes who have similar 400m personal bests to Oscar. This is because the point of the testing is to see how Oscar compares to able-bodied athletes and establish whether Oscar’s prosthetics are “technical aids” which give him excessive advantage over other athletes who don’t use them. IAAF Rules forbid the use of such technical aids in competition.

IAAF article