Olympic blade runner challenges our view of humanity

The achievements of amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius represents a deep shift in our ideas about what it means to be disabled ? or human

THE original Olympic games were religious ceremonies. At the 2012 London games, we worship such "deities" as peace, excellence and the future. Squint, and you also see worship of mortals pushing towards demigodhood, athletes who represent humanity trying to become more than human.

Philosophers take a more prosaic view of sport. Here's a general definition by Bernard Suits at the University of Waterloo, Ontario: "Playing a game is a voluntary attempt to overcome unnecessary obstacles". We agree on the unnecessary obstacles (rules) in order to make the game more interesting.

Enter athlete Oscar Pistorius. He was born without fibulae, and had his legs amputated below the knee. Even so, he excelled at sport, starting with rugby and turning to the 400 metres after an injury. There he came into his own, and with his carbon fibre blades is now on South Africa's 2012 team for both Olympics and Paralympics.

It has been tough. In 2007, the International Association of Athletics Federations introduced a rule banning "any technical device that incorporates springs, wheels or any other element that provides... an advantage over another athlete not using... such a device". Based on research at the German Sport University Cologne, the IAAF decided Pistorius could not compete. He fought, scientifically and legally, and won - but failed to qualify for the 2008 Olympics.

While biomechanics experts argue over whether Pistorius has an advantage, or a disadvantage, in fact he did not win an individual Olympic event, but he may yet win at the Paralympics.

The games are about more than competition, though. Tribalism, for example, helps us identify with athletes because they represent our group. This identification gives us vicarious pleasure: it is not just fit people doing what they are good at, but the affirmation that humans can do the near-impossible. If they can, we can. Uncertainty is also key. Pistorius is not so disabled he has no chance, yet not so enhanced he is guaranteed a win.

But his real significance may lie in a deep shift in our view of what it means to be disabled, enhanced - or even human. A few years ago, Nike used Pistorius in their ads. Marketers are pragmatic: they tap into the idea that humans have an evolved tendency to react with disquiet when people look too different, and will only use an image if they think enough people will respond positively. The fact they showed him running on his blades shows they were confident viewers would be impressed, that humans can sometimes override evolution. Pistorius has not been alone: Paralympians sell.

Some people will worry that Pistorius is opening up sport to all sorts of strangeness. But if people outside sport go on modifying (and enhancing) their bodies, it will be hard for sport to maintain its fairly puritan views.

Gratifyingly, there are signs that like Olympians, Paralympians are starting to be seen as elite demigods, too, perhaps because we recognise they have not just overcome a game's unnecessary obstacles, but their bodies' necessary obstacles.

Anders Sandberg is at the Future of Humanity Institute, University of Oxford

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

Have your say

Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.

Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article

Subscribe now to comment.

All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.

If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/2252de65/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Carticle0Cmg215287750B50A0A0Eolympic0Eblade0Erunner0Echallenges0Eour0Eview0Eof0Ehumanity0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Fonline0Enews/story01.htm

taio cruz taio cruz miley cyrus miley cyrus Beady Eye Kathi Goertzen UFC 150