South African Paralympic champion
Oscar Pistorius
has been ruled ineligible to compete in the
Beijing Olympic Games
because his prosthetic limbs give him a clear competitive edge over such athletes.
"Pistorius was able to run with his prosthetic blades at the same speed as the able-bodied sprinters with about 25 percent less energy expenditure," the IAAF statement said.
"As soon as a given speed is reached, running with the prosthetics needs less additional energy than running with natural limbs.
"The IAAF Council has been able to review the full report and has decided that the prosthetic blades known as "cheetahs" should be considered as technical aids in clear contravention of IAAF Rule 144.2.
"As a result, Oscar Pistorius is not eligible to compete in competitions organized under IAAF Rules."
The decision to
ban the 21-year-old sprinter from all competitions involving able-bodied athletes was announced by the sport's governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) yesterday.
South African Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius