No road to Beijing, unfortunately (via soldiersmediacenter, Flickr)
If the Academy had been more open to neo-noir movies, I might have been tempted to write this fabulous pre-text: “He won the Oscar, but Blade Runner will not make it to Beijing”. Well, Ridley Scott’s movie never won an Academy Award, but the second half at least is true: Paralympic 400-meter-runner Oscar Pistorius (nickname “Blade Runner”) will not be allowed to start at the Olympic Games this year.
The 21-year-old South African, who is running with prosthetic limbs, was excluded based on tests in Cologne that showed because of his “blades”he needed 25 percent less energy than “regular”athletes. Mr Pistorius plans to appeal against the verdict. As his Paralympic world record is at 46.34 sec. almost three seconds behind the fastest active athlete (Jeremy Wariner, 43.50 sec.), he might not have played a huge rule in the race, anyway. Still, some months before the Games, the Olympic Committee sends out a clear message: No little helpers allowed. With arguably the most drug-enhanced Olympic Games of all times ahead of us, one might add: At least none that you cannot hide.