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Lead Stories: Sunday, July 20, 2008

ESPN, Nightline & GMA to Air Special Features, Present New Evidence in the Oscar Pistorius Controversy on April 15

Posted April 9th, 2008 at 4:00 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Motivation, Track & Field, Columns, Olympics, SPOTLIGHT

Oscar Pistorius bi-lateral amputee sprinter One of the most talked-about sports stories of the past year is the controversy surrounding Oscar Pistorius, the bi-lateral amputee sprinter who is trying to make a bid for the Olympics and is appealing the IAAF’s ruling that he has a technical advantage. Ossur, the maker of those Cheetahs, invites everyone to form their own opinion based on new information as presented by ESPN’s E:60, Good Morning America, Nightline, and ESPN Magazine.

Looking for insights into this game-changing issue that raises scientific, ethical and philosophical questions, and for the past three months, ESPN’s investigative journalists have traveled the globe to learn more. They interviewed Oscar, his family, coach, prosthetist, friends, competitors, lawyers, and Ossur, too. They also interviewed Professor Bruggemann, the German doctor who originally tested him on behalf of the IAAF.

What to see on April 15th:

Good Morning America will air a segment between 7-9am
ESPN’s E:60 will broadcast a 10-minute feature between 7-8pm.
Nightline will look into the story at 11:30pm.

In addition, ESPN Magazine’s April 21st cover story will delve into Oscar’s case.
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Letter to the Editor from Oscar Pistorius’ Prosthetist

Posted April 3rd, 2007 at 5:08 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, SoundOFF, Columns, Olympics

This morning I received a letter by Trevor Brauckmann, the prosthetisit for top amputee runner and Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius.

The letter, published below with Mr. Brauckmann’s permission, is in response to the controvery surrounding Oscar’s potential competition in the able-bodied Olympics and the IAAF’s recent ruling on “technical aids”.

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Open letter to the Editor:

I have been following with interest and dismay the furor around Oscar Pistorius qualifying for the able body Olympics. I am currently involved with the making of Oscar’s prosthesis’s and have been involved in the making of prosthetics since 1985.

It is my opinion that a lot is being made of the “advantage” that he has with his ”carbon fiber blades” and not enough is said about the disadvantages that he and other disabled athletes faces. I further believe that the world is not ready to face the fact that a disabled athlete can be competitive with able bodied athletes.
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Podcast 16: Exclusive interview w/ Oscar Pistorius, the amputee runner on the verge of making history

Posted February 16th, 2007 at 6:00 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Motivation, Success Stories, Track & Field, Columns, Success Stories, Olympics, Special Features, Podcasts

The Final Sprint and I have the utmost respect and admiration for handicapped athletes and are proud to be official sponsors of the Challenged Athletes Foundation. These gifted individuals demonstrate incredible resolve and the power of the human spirit by successfully participating, competing and excelling in athletics despite their physical disabilities.

Today’s podcast features an interview with one such hero and TFS’s February 2007 Success Story honoree. His name is Oscar Pistorius and he is a 20-year old South African Paralympic runner known as “The Fastest Thing on No Legs”.

After having both of his legs amputated below the knee when he was only 11-months old, Oscar has exemplified the astounding spirit of these challenged athletes. Oscar is sponsored by Ossur and with the aid of their Cheetah Flex-Foot prosthetics, Oscar has ran his his way to multiple Paralympic gold medals and set world records in the 100, 200 and 400m events. He has also gone on to break his own world records 19 times in a single year and has successfully competed against able-bodied runners.

Having already attained unparalleled success, Oscar is now on the verge of making history once again – but this time by becoming the first amputee to ever compete in the able-bodied Olympics.

However, even if Oscar is able to run a qualifying time, he could still sadly be denied the opportunity to compete in the Olympics because he has attracted a number of critics who believe his prosthetics provide him with an unfair advantage. No able-bodied sports federation, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has ever been forced to consider rules for athletes with prosthetics. As the IOC struggles to make decision, Oscar has kept his head-up and pushed forward despite the uncertainty that surrounds his future.

Download the podcast to hear my exclusive interview with Oscar where we discuss his life, historic achievements, the controversy, how he deals with the critics and the very real possibility of him redefining society’s concept of human potential.

Listen In
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Host: Adam Jacobs
Guest: Oscar Pistorius
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 29.4MB
Length: 00:42:55