Are you a Replicant? Or are you a Repli-CAN?

Oscar Pistorius is the Cyborg of the Moment.



You're probably already aware of his story: a double, below-the-knee amputee as a child, Oz has grown up to be a fantastic runner... with the help of his Ossur brand Cheetah prostheses. For an in-depth introduction, I recommend Wired's article from early last year.

They call him the "Blade Runner." Sexy, no? His Nike ad is pretty hot, too

This week, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) has ruled that Pistorius's carbon-fiber legs confer an unfair advantage, and has barred him from competing in the Summer Olympics in Beijing. I have yet to read the IAAF report, but news items I've heard have mentioned the "springiness" of the Cheetahs (greater than that of the traditional calf-and-ankle model, but that's not hard to beat) as well as his more horizontal stride - he doesn't waste as much energy bouncing as he runs. I've also heard arguments focusing on his (purported) aerobic efficiency - nonexistent legs don't require oxygen.

These might be valid arguments for an advantage if he consistently beat the intact competition. But he doesn't. His 400 meter best is still a half second short of the Olympic qualifying time. So it's hard to see where the advantage is conferred, exactly.

The day double amputees begin to regularly smoke "able bodied" Olympians, then it may be time to reevaluate whether the competition is fair. Unless and until that happens, I say let him go to the trials. If he qualifies, let him race.

It comes down to energy efficiency. How much effort does an athlete expend to get his or her results? There's no free lunch in the Olympics (or in Major League Baseball either, apparently). But it's unreasonable to suggest that this guy is not working as hard as his counterparts. Insulting, really. Oscar Pistorius isn't a cheater - he's exactly the kind of dedicated competitor who belongs in Beijing this summer.