'Blade runner' loses Beijing hopes

LONDON, England (CNN) -- A Paralympic gold medal winner will not be allowed to compete in the Beijing Olympics later this year after athletics' governing body ruled that his specially-designed prosthetic limbs gave him an unfair advantage over other runners.

The International Association of Athletics Federations ruled that Oscar Pistorius' shock-absorbing carbon-fiber prosthetics gave him a "demonstrable mechanical advantage" compared to able-bodied athletes.

Pistorius, nicknamed the "Blade Runner" because of his prosthetics, won gold in the 200 meters and a bronze medal in the 100m at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens.

The 21-year-old South African, who lost his legs when he was a baby, has since competed in two able-bodied races in which he finished second and last.

In November, the IAAF carried tests on Pistorius over two days at the German Sport University in Cologne to determine if his prosthetic limbs, known as "cheetah" prosthetics, could be considered a technical aid.

A team of more than 10 scientists used high speed cameras, special equipment to measure ground reaction forces and a three-dimensional scanner to record body mass.

The IAAF determined that Pistorius was able to run "with about 25 per cent less energy expenditure" than other sprinters, it said in a statement released on its Web site Monday.

"The positive work, or returned energy, from the prosthetic blade is close to three times higher than with the human ankle joint in maximum sprinting," the statement said.

"This means that the mechanical advantage of the blade in relation to the healthy ankle joint of an able-bodied athlete is higher than 30 per cent."

The IAAF completed its report on December 19 and had planned to release its findings last week, but it delayed the announcement to give Pistorius more time to look over the report, said spokesman Nick Davies.

Pistorius, who holds the Paralympic world records in the 100m, 200m and 400m, was born without fibulae in his legs -- which were amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old.

The runner finished second in an able-bodied race in Rome in 2007, then came last and was subsequently disqualified for stepping out of his lane in a race in Sheffield, England later the same year.

The IAAF said that after the Italian race, evidence suggested an athlete with prosthetic limbs performed differently than an able-bodied athlete, and it agreed with Pistorius that more tests were needed.

The IAAF does not prohibit prosthetic limbs in able-bodied sports, but it does ban technical aids. Pistorius is reported to be considering an appeal against the verdict.

Athletics South Africa said it would immediately apply the decision which does does not affect Pistorius' eligibility for Paralympic events.

"It's unfortunate because he could have boosted team athletics at the Olympics at Beijing because he had the potential to qualify," said Leonard Chuene, president of Athletics South Africa.

"There's not much we can do," Chuene added. "It rules him out with immediate effect. We use the IAAF rule book. If we had our rules and our own competition it would be easier. It is a huge problem." E-mail to a friend

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