Pistorius slams claim carbon fiber blades gives unfair advantage over normal athletes

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London - Oscar Pistorius, who is poised to become first double amputee to participate in the Olympics, has slammed critics for claiming that if he wins a medal in the London Games, then credit for it should go to the carbon fiber blades.
 
Pistorius, who is also known as the Blade Runner, has been forced to defend his use of carbon fiber blades despite a Court of Arbitration for Sport's (CAS) 2008 ruling that there is no evidence of the blades giving him any net advantage over able-bodied athletes.
 
"It's something I dealt with in 2008 when I made myself available for tests to prove that I gain no unfair advantage from my carbon fiber blades," The Daily Mirror quoted Pistorius, as saying.
 
"But still, you get people going for a certain angle and wanting it to be a controversial story. It frustrates me when I read something and the facts aren't right," he added.
 
Last week, a senior lecturer in sports engineering at the Sheffield Hallam University warned of a backlash, if Pistorius becomes an inspirational Paralympian to Olympic medallist.
 
"People want Oscar to run and do well," Dr David James said.
 
"However, will they think the same if he wins? I predict a backlash if he wins anything. They will attribute that performance to the blades," Dr James added.
 
However, Pistorius cited a CAS ruling in 2008, and said: "It was a unanimous decision and none of my competitors have any issue. Yet some people make it sound like I'm the only athlete running on these prosthetic legs."
 
"They have been around since 1996, tens of thousands of athletes have used them - but none are as fast. If the administration and my competitors haven't got a problem, then why should others?" he added.
 
"I won't even make the final. Those guys are in another league. I'm not there yet," he said.
 

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