Oscar Pistorius is a double amputee who wants to race in the Olympics. Unfortunately, his bionic legs called “Cheetahs” are the cause of intense debate over whether Pistorius should be allowed to compete with other “able-bodied” opponents. Olympic organizers and advisers were overwhelmingly against allowing him to race, but then they said, “What the hell? We let Marion Jones cheat for five years so we should allow this dude to kick people’s ass. Like a cheetah.” Yup, they said exactly that.

The 21-year-old, who runs on specially adapted carbon fibre blades after having his legs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old, saw the ban imposed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The 400m runner was barred from all competitions involving able-bodied athletes because of claims that the artificial legs he uses give him an unfair advantage. “Today, I can pursue my dream of competing in the Olympic Games. If it’s not for Beijing, it will be for London in 2012,” said the South African, nicknamed ‘Bladerunner’.

And he’s probably way better than you at other things as well.

Despite his disability Pistorius went through school as a keen athlete, taking part in rugby, water polo, tennis and wrestling.

He only took up running competitively in January 2004 after he sustained a knee injury while playing rugby.

Only a few months later, aided by his ‘Bladerunner’ limbs, Pistorius went on to win Paralympic Gold in the 200 metres at the Athens Games, where he also won bronze in the 100m.

Pffft. We can write poetry…in the rain. With people laughing at us. And dogs pissing on our typewriter. Street poetry isn’t fucking dead! It isn’t! And it will never die…sigh…oh my. Good luck Oscar. We’re sure you’ll do well because everyone running in the Olympics will be tainted with deer-penis soup, and punished by the International Association of Athletics Federations anyway.

‘Bladerunner’ Pistorius targets Olympics after appeal victory [AFP]
Image [NY Times]