Should this guy be competing in the able-bodied Olympics?

[mathematic]

23. From the research that was used to unban him

"First, we found that the mean gross metabolic cost of transport of our amputee sprint subject (174.9 ml O(2)*kg(-1)*km(-1); speeds: 2.5-4.1 m/s) was only 3.8% lower than mean values for intact-limb elite distance runners and 6.7% lower than for subelite distance runners but 17% lower than for intact-limb 400-m specialists [210.6 (SD 13.2) ml O(2)*kg(-1)*km(-1)]."

"We conclude that running on modern, lower-limb sprinting prostheses appears to be physiologically similar but mechanically different from running with intact limbs."

Right there in the abstract. Comparing the gross metabolic cost of transport of Pistorius to distance runners make about as much sense as comparing the bicep strength of Pistorius to distance runners. The athletes are completely different Distance runners are small, thin, and have muscles predisposed to endurance. Sprinters are the complete opposite. They train completely different systems too. Distance training improves gross metabolic cost of transport, sprint training does not.

This research was published AFTER the CAS hearing. Why can't the IAAF use this? I'm no lawyer but this was a research conducted for "the defense". I don't think the IAAF can use it to re-raise the issue. Pistorius won't be submitting to any further IAAF testing.

The official CAS decision was that Pistorius did not have a significant physiological advantage. It did not address the mechanical advantage of the blades. The research used to support this claim clearly indicate Pistorius has a physiological advantage when he is compared only to other sprinters. So the IAAF research and the Wyland research show a physiological advantage compared to other sprinters. Therefore the facts clearly show that the decision was wrong.

Pistorius' disadvantage at the start can be estimated: he runs a 10.91 100m. So the disadvantage is around .6s. A lot of people ask something like "If they're such an advantage then why aren't there more double amputees running these times?" (The blade advantage does not extend to single amputees, since their blade limb is constrained by their natural limb). There just aren't many double amputees out there. Much less double amputees that have the talent to run 7 seconds off of Olympic finals 400m time. That's already much much faster than the average person.