mitchee
Female Member 
LBKA - 2006
Posts: 55
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Post by mitchee on Apr 26, 2010 13:13:19 GMT -7
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Post by snowyh on Apr 26, 2010 13:34:43 GMT -7
From the article:
Pistorius' attempt was clouded by debate over whether his carbon-fiber "Cheetah" limbs gave him an edge. Before naming Palmiero-Winters to the team, USA Track & Field made certain that international officials didn't have similar concerns, USATF spokeswoman Jill Geer says.
They don't go into details. I wonder why his pros were a problem and hers is not?
Helen
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mitchee
Female Member
LBKA - 2006
Posts: 55
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Post by mitchee on Apr 26, 2010 15:49:13 GMT -7
Hi Helen. The article says that she doesn't have an advantage because she is a single leg amputee. I tend to agree. I have a cheetah foot and when I get tired, I wish I had 2 of them because they are so light and have such great energy return. Am I willing to amputate my other leg so that I can run on 2 cheetah feet, not a chance!!
Michelle
From the sidebar on the article:
HARDSHIPS SINGLE-LEG AMPUTEE RUNNERS FACE
Comparing Olympic hopeful sprinter Oscar Pistorius, a double-leg amputee, to ultrarunner Amy Palmiero-Winters, a single-leg amputee, is impossible, says the co-author of a study that found Pistorius' light and springy prosthetics enhanced sprint speeds by 15%-30%.
"I can't think of any plausible reason she would be advantaged," Southern Methodist University associate professor Peter Weyand says. "I can think of lots of reasons why she would not be."
Pistorius' crescent-shaped, carbon-fiber prosthetics, which are half the weight of biological limbs, help him reposition his legs more quickly, Weyand and the University of Wyoming's Matthew Bundle determined.
Palmiero-Winters uses a similar prosthetic but because of the slower speeds over greater distances, as well as the asymmetry that having one intact leg and one prosthetic leg creates her situation presents "a very different scientific consideration," Weyand says.
Scientists studying single-leg amputee sprinters have found they do not have an advantage over able-bodied sprinters.
Weyand also notes that Palmiero-Winters has less muscle than able-bodied runners to provide fuel in a long race. "I ran before I lost my leg," she says. "Is it easier now? No. Not even close."
-- Vicki Michaelis
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ampgk
New Member
Posts: 42 
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Post by ampgk on Apr 26, 2010 23:59:34 GMT -7
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mitchee
Female Member
LBKA - 2006
Posts: 55
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Post by mitchee on Apr 27, 2010 19:26:58 GMT -7
I suppose it is old news. LOL. She qualified but she hadn't officially been selected to the U.S Track team. :-)
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ampgk
New Member
Posts: 42
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Post by ampgk on Apr 28, 2010 3:34:22 GMT -7
Nowhere in the USA Today article is it specifically stated that Amy was selected for the team. The phrase "makes the team" appears in the headline, but the article itself reads:
she became the first amputee to qualify for a U.S. national track and field team.
There's that word again :-)
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mitchee
Female Member
LBKA - 2006
Posts: 55
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Post by mitchee on Apr 28, 2010 17:11:23 GMT -7
I thought it was a nice article in USA Today so I posted the link.
I didn't mean to be redundant or misinform anyone.
:-(
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Post by allenuk on Apr 29, 2010 1:00:57 GMT -7
My take on the whole 'amputees get an advantage by having fancy prosthetic limbs' argument is still the same:
Show me the able-bodied athletes who are asking for their legs to be cut off so that they can be our 'equals'.
None yet? Ah well, perhaps one day.
(And mitchee, mine is an 'old story' too!)
Allen, bka, non-runner, London.
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