THE prosthetic legs that double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius races with provide less air resistance than human legs, according to the IAAF, which wants to further investigate the athlete known as 'Blade Runner'.
Pistorius, who competed against elite able-bodied athletes for the first time on Sunday in the 400 metres event at the British Grand Prix in Sheffield, wears curved, carbon-fibre prosthetic legs when he races. Hoping to be allowed to compete at the B
eijing Olympics next year, Pistorius also ran in a 'B' race in Rome on Friday, and finished second.
"The guy Oscar beat on Friday - the stride length was the same, but the speed through the air was slower for the able-bodied guy," IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said. "This research makes us want to do more."
The International Association of Athletic Federations has been reviewing footage from two high-definition cameras that filmed Pistorius in Rome to determine if his prosthetic racing legs give him an unfair advantage.
Davies said the initial research also showed that the way Pistorius distributed energy was virtually the opposite to able-bodied runners. And unlike able-bodied runners, Pistorius was faster at the end of the race instead of the beginning.
Pistorius finished second on Friday in 46.90 seconds. But against the elite field on Sunday in rain-lashed Sheffield he was last across the line and was then disqualified for running outside his lane.
The IAAF introduced a rule in March banning any runner deemed to benefit from artificial help from competing, but Davies said that was not necessarily meant to include athletes like Pistorius.
"Maybe he's overreacting over certain things. He seems to think that we've banned him then decided he was eligible," Davies said. "We clarified the situation. No one has banned him. We want to give him the benefit of the doubt."
Speaking to the BBC after his race in Sheffield, Pistorius had criticised the IAAF, claiming the governing body does not respect disabled athletes. "They haven't been in contact with me ... they should be working with me," said the 20-year-old. "They don't seem to have any respect for Paralympic sport."
Davies hit back yesterday, insisting the IAAF was not discriminating against disabled athletes and that Pistorious had no grounds for his comments. He cited legally blind runner Marla Runyan of the United States, who competed in the 1,500m at the 2000 Olympics and in the 5,000m in Athens four years later.
"We have been in contact with Pistorius's team and his manager and have had a few emails from people connected to Oscar, including the company that manufactures his prosthetics, so it's really not true that we have not been in contact," said Davies. "Also to say that the IAAF is disrespectful to disabled athletes is frankly nonsense. We already have disabled athletes competing in our events."
Davies added: "We need to separate emotion from the science. We all wish him well. The point here is what's going to happen in ten years? What happens if it continues to evolve?"
Davies said the IAAF's research was being overseen by director of development Elio Locatelli, who is a former chief coach of the Italian athletics team, and that the governing body of the sport hoped to work with Pistorius in the biomechanics department of the Cologne-based German Sport University.
Pistorius was born without fibulas - the long, thin outer bone between the knee and ankle - and was 11 months old when his legs were amputated below the knee.
He began running four years ago to treat a rugby injury, and nine months later won the 200m at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. He has set world records in the 100, 200 and 400 in Paralympic events. To make next year's Olympics, Pistorius would have to run a 46.3secs before the July 2008 qualifying deadline.
