Oscar Pistorius
You are not disabled by your disabilities but abled by your abilities.
About Oscar Pistorius
Oscar Pistorius, often referred to as the "Blade Runner" is a world champion sprinter who has broken his own world records over 30 times. A fierce advocate of Life Without Limitations and a bilateral amputee, he is the first ever Paralympian to win Gold in each of the 100m, 200m and 400m sprints (Beijing 2008), and his international reputation as the "fastest man on no legs" is gaining momentum with every race.
The South African phenomenon has retained his position as world record holder in his category for the three top sprint events, setting a brand new record for the 400m in May 2011 at the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester, UK. Then, in July 2011, he made history in Italy with a personal best of 45.07 seconds for the men's 400m, a result that saw him qualify for the South African national team and the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea (Aug 2011). Here he made history yet again, running against non-disabled athletes and qualifying for the 400m semi-finals.
Accompanying Oscar on his remarkable journey to the very pinnacle of his sport have been his prosthetic running blades – the Flex-Foot® Cheetah® from Össur. The unique design of these passive feet, which dates back to 1997, has become the gold standard internationally for elite athletes with limb loss. It has also given rise to Oscar's affectionate alias the Blade Runner.
Fast facts
| Fact | Description |
|---|---|
| Nationality | South African |
| DOB | November 22, 1986 |
| Amputation | Bilateral, Below the Knee |
| Competitive Class | T43 / T44 |
| Main Events | 100m, 200m, 400m sprint |
Competitive highlights
| Year | Highlights |
|---|---|
2012 |
Winner of the 2012 Laureus Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award |
2011 |
IAAF World Championships, Daegu, South Korea
Lignano race meeting, Italy
BT Paralympic World Cup, UK
Provincial Championship, South Africa
IPC Athletics World Championships, New Zealand
|
| 2010 | London Aviva Grand Prix
|
2008
|
Paralympics, Beijing
Spitzenleichtathletik Meeting, Lucerne, Switzerland, able-bodied IAAF sanctioned meeting
|
2007
|
Senior South African National Championships – able-bodied –
|
2006 |
IPC World Championships Assen
|
Biography
Oscar Pistorius on the track
Early years
Born without a fibula in both legs, Pistorius was only 11 months old when his parents made the heart-wrenching decision to have his limbs amputated below the knee. He says he never really knew anything different. As a child, he announced to his father that one day he would play in the Super 8 rugby event, a sign of the ambition and determination that would characterize his future approach to life. He did indeed play rugby, water polo and tennis as a schoolboy. Then, in January 2004, Pistorius shattered his right knee on the rugby field. Doctors recommended he switch to track events.
Under 22 seconds: The first World Record
At just 17 years of age, after training for only two months, Pistorius took on the 100m sprint in an open competition at the Pilditch stadium in his hometown of Pretoria. He ran it in an astounding 11.51 seconds; the world record was 12.20.
A mere eight months later, Pistorius raced alongside Marlon Shirley and Brian Frasure at the 2004 Paralympics Games in Athens. Creating a sensation in the athletics world, he took the silver medal behind Shirley in the 100m. He also won gold in the 200m, breaking the world record with a time of 21.97 seconds. This made him the first amputee ever to run the 200m in under 22 seconds. He went home with four world records and the determination to do it again.
At the South African Championships in March 2005, Pistorius ran the 400m in the Open/Able-Bodied category and achieved 6th place in the final competition. That same year, he also won the gold in both the 100m and 200m while representing South Africa in the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester, England. Subsequently, the IAAF invited him to run in a Grand Prix meeting in Helsinki and at the World Championship in Manchester, making him the first disabled athlete ever invited to such events; a huge honor.
Oscar managed to shave a further 0.3 seconds off his 200m record at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, bringing it to 21.67. Also taking first place in the 100m and 400m events, Oscar secured himself a place in the history books by becoming the first ever Paralympian to win gold in all three events.
In 2011, a slimmer, trimmer Pistorius took two the world by storm, securing a new 400m championship record at the IPC Athletic World Championships in New Zealand and a new world record for the event at the Paralympic World Cup in the UK in May. The latter event also saw him secure Gold for the 100m, with a time of 11.04 seconds, a personal best.
In July of this year, Oscar achieved his best time yet for the 400m – 45.07seconds – a time which ensured his selection for the South African squad as it headed to South Korea and the IAAF World Championships in August. Greeted by a wildly enthusiastic crowd, it was here that he competed on a world platform alongside non-disabled athletes, getting as far as the semi-finals.
Meeting Nelson Mandela
As part of the celebrations to mark some outstanding performances in Beijing and an incredible haul of 30 medals for the South African Paralympic team as a whole, Pistorius was delighted to meet former President Nelson Mandela.
Oscar's 'Blades'
As a bilateral amputee, Pistorius has always competed in both T43 (double limb loss, below-knee) and T44 events (single limb loss, below-knee). His T43 world records in the 100m, 200m and 400m races are all faster than the T44 world records. He credits his running blades – the Flex-Foot® Cheetah® from Össur – with enabling him to run at his fastest and accomplish his unique achievements. He also finds comfortable walking and the ability to remain active in his Modular IIITM feet from Össur (part of the Flex-Foot range) that he wears off the track.
Pistorius has now broken his own world records some 30 times and is still working toward becoming the fastest sprinter in the world. In 2008 the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) ruled that his prostheses were ineligible for use in IAAF-authorized competitions, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport later reversed that ban, clearing the way for Pistorius to compete in IAAF-sanctioned events. His best time of 45.07 seconds for the 400m at the July 2011 race meeting in Lignano, Italy took him 0.18 seconds inside what’s classed as 'A' standard time and secured his place on the South African national team for the IAAF World Championships.
Background
In addition to profiling this remarkable young man and his extraordinary athletic achievements, this feature also aims to provide objective and factual information about his prosthetic blades.
Below you will find links to official statements and news reports concerning Oscar’s bid to compete against able-bodied athletes; the response from the sport’s governing body, the IAAF; and reports of the subsequent ruling by the CAS.
Pistorius is a bilateral amputee world champion sprinter who has broken his own world record 27 times and is the first ever Paralympian to win Gold in each of the 100, 200 and 400 meter-sprints. In January, 2008, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) banned him from competing against able-bodied runners on the grounds that his prostheses give him a technical advantage - issuing a statement on the topic, Össur adamantly disagrees.
In May, 2008, Pistorius took his case before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which ruled that the evidence was inconclusive and overturned the IAAF’s findings.
Oscar and the IAAF
Oscar Pistorius had a dream to race against able-bodied athletes. Initially, that dream was crushed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) when it banned him from participating on the grounds that his prostheses give him an advantage over able-bodied runners. Later, in response to the world’s outrage, it reconsidered and offered to test Oscar to determine conclusively whether he posed such a threat.
After some testing, which Össur and Pistorius’ team considered incomplete, on January 14, 2008, the IAAF announced its decision to ban him from all its events.
On February 13, 2008, the international law firm Dewey & LeBoeuf initiated an appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on behalf of Oscar Pistorius, challenging the IAAF’s decision.
On May 16, 2008, the CAS made its ruling, concluding that there is insufficient evidence that Pistorius gained any advantage from his prostheses, and overturned the earlier ruling. It marked a significant day in the world of elite athletics – disabled and able-bodied.
The Proceedings
November 18, 2009
May 16, 2008
- The CAS press release stating the ruling (PDF-file)
- The IAAF press release
- Össur press release: Össur and Oscar celebrate CAS ruling
March 26, 2007
December 14, 2007
- Össur CEO Jon Sigurdsson's letter to the IAAF: "the testing which you have commissioned will clearly show that he does not have a technical advantage over able-bodied athletes."
January 10, 2008
- Oscar Pistorius' statement in Pretoria, South Africa: "I will not stand down."
January 11, 2008
- Össur's statement in support of Oscar: "...any judgment against Mr. Pistorius at this stage and based on insufficient information, would be irresponsible and unfair."
January 14, 2008
- IAAF Statement regarding Oscar Pistorius (opens in a new window)
January 14, 2008
- IPC Position Statement on IAAF's Commissioned Research on Oscar Pistorius (opens in a new window)
February 13, 2008
- Dewey & LeBoeuf challenges the IAAF via an appeal on behalf of Oscar Pistorius (opens in a new window)
April 15, 2008
- ESPN documents Oscar‘s road to Appeal: Hear what Dr. Bruggeman has to say (opens in a new window)
Oscar in the news
Following are selected pieces of media coverage surrounding Pistorius' appeal to compete with able-bodied athletes. All links open in a new window:- New York Times: Panel Backs Amputee Sprinter’s Olympic Quest
- CNN: 'Blade Runner' wins Olympic appeal
- BBC: Pistorius eligible for Olympics
- ESPN: CAS says Pistorius can race against able-bodied athletes
- The Australian: Oscar Pistorius wins Court of Arbitration for Sport appeal
- More Global News Coverage Following the Final Ruling
- The Times Online (March 5, 2008): Tests give Oscar Pistorius reason for optimism
- CNN International interview with Oscar Pistorius (video)
- Read the New York Times front page article on Oscar Pistorius - January 10, 2008
- Read the New York Times article „An Amputee Sprinter: Is He Disabled or Too-Abled?“
- Listen to The Final Sprint's podcast on Oscar Pistorius
- Read Wired Magazine's story about Oscar Pistorius
- Read the Daily Telegraph interview with Oscar Pistorius
- Read "Olympic dreams of a blade runner" on the BBC
About Össur
Össur is in the business of improving people’s mobility. A leading global company in non-invasive orthopaedics, we deliver advanced and innovative technologies within the fields of prosthetics, braces, supports and compression therapy. Read more...
Flex-Foot Cheetah running blade
What is it?
Össur's Flex-Foot Cheetah is a J-shaped, high performance carbon composite prosthetic sprinting foot (blade). The prosthesis is designed to mimic the action of the anatomical foot/ankle joint of able-bodied runners and help compensate for the user’s impaired physiology.
Over the past decade, scores of amputee athletes have used the Flex-Foot Cheetah from Össur to compete at international levels of sport. In fact, the Flex-Foot Cheetah is considered the leading choice in prosthetic feet for both elite and recreational amputee athletes.
The technology used in the Flex-Foot Cheetah has existed since 1997, and has not experienced any significant updates since that time.
Who is it for?
Össur's Flex-Foot Cheetah was designed for unilateral/bilateral transtibial and transfemoral (above-the-knee and below-the-knee) amputees who wish to participate in running or sprinting sports at competitive and/or recreational levels.
How does the Flex-Foot Cheetah work?
Össur's Flex-Foot Cheetah is a uniquely designed prosthetic blade that features proprietary carbon technology to efficiently store and release energy produced by the user while running. When a user is running, the prosthesis’ "J" curve is compressed at impact, storing energy and absorbing high levels of stress that would otherwise be absorbed by the runner’s ankle, knee, hip, and lower back. At the end of stance phase, the "J curve " returns back to its original shape, releasing the stored energy and propelling the user forward.
The Flex-Foot Cheetah is designed to have more layers of carbon at higher stress points, such as the apex of the "J" curve, and less carbon where more flexibility is needed, such as the toe portion. Importantly, the Flex-Foot Cheetah has no heel component. This ensures that the prosthetic foot’s reaction accurately mimics that of an able-bodied runner replicating both the stance and swing phases of running.
What does this mean for the amputee?
Prosthetic feet, like shoes, are designed for specific activities. Running or participation in other sports with a normal prosthetic foot can cause discomfort and potential injury. It also may be fatiguing to the user, typically requiring they expend disproportionately higher amounts of energy. Össur's Flex-Foot Cheetah was specifically designed for running, allowing amputee athletes to train more effectively and with less risk of injury than if they used prosthetic feet designed for normal daily activities. The smooth reaction and dampening effect of the Flex-Foot Cheetah also allows the user to focus on the task at hand, and not on what the foot is doing.
How is the Flex-Foot Cheetah designed?
The prosthesis’ “J” curve shape somewhat resembles the hind quarter of a Cheetah, the fastest animal on land. The carbon technology featured in the Flex-Foot Cheetah is available in a variety of configurations to meet a user’s individual needs. The prosthesis’ thickness and resulting stiffness of the foot varies according to a user’s body weight, residual limb length, and foot alignment in relation to their running style. This can also improve the foot’s durability. A prosthetist may also customize the toe shape and the tread plate attached to the bottom of the blade. Typically, the spike plate of a sprinting shoe or the sole of an athletic shoe are applied to the blade’s carbon toe to assure traction and conformity to the running surface.
Is the Cheetah a bionic foot?
No. Bionic limbs typically incorporate artificial intelligence, including sensors, microprocessors, and sometimes even motors to supply assisted movement and real-time adjustments for the user, based on feedback captured throughout their gait cycle.
In comparison, Össur's Flex-Foot Cheetah is a non-mechanized prosthetic running foot, which returns a portion of the energy stored during the loading phase of running. Studies have shown that the Flex-Foot Cheetah can return around 90% of the energy stored in it. This is far less than a normal able-bodied foot and leg, which has been shown to return 249% of the stored energy.