Oscar Pistorius is far from your average person. The 20 year old South African athlete has lined up against world and Olympic champion Jeremy Warriner in the 400m. He finished last... but that isn't the issue.

The twist to this tale is that Oscar is a double amputee, having had his legs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old, after being born without bones in his calves. He runs on J-shaped carbon fibre prosthetics that have earned him the nickname of "The Bladerunner".

His presence is causing quite a stir in the athletics world. He regularly beats able bodied athletes over 100, 200 and 400 metres, but the world governing body IAAF is questioning whether he should be allowed to compete beyond disabled events.

In March, the organisation, fulfilling the role of the baddy, introduced a rule that prohibits "the use of any technical device that provides the user with an advantage over another athlete not using the device". The runner's carbon fibre limbs are inspired by the shape of a cheetah's rear leg... and those things can run !

The IAAF is concerned about the energy they release, the length of stride pattern they allow and the fact they do not release lactic acid, which causes cramp and muscle stiffness, leading to a tapering of performance in the latter stages of a race. An IAAF spokesman also claims the organisation believes the spring in the limbs gives Pistorius a "three to four metre stride" which they say is not humanly possible. This, they claim, gives the South African an unfair advantage.

Pistorius counters by claiming the prosthetics produce less energy than if he were running on skin, blood and bone. And what of lactic acid? (You sense the IAAF are determined to sink this guy, don't you?): The governing body claims: "If you don't have calf muscles, shins or feet, you obviously don't have any lactic acid or experience the problems that other athletes do because of it."

Pistorius has an answer for that as well: "I have the same ratio of blood per muscles in my body as everyone else, and the only way you'd get less lactic acid would be if that ratio was less." One thing that sinks his argument is that in races he actually gets faster the further he runs... he is a slow starter because it takes him longer to get into his stride. Once at top speed he maintains it into the home straight.

The other slightly vital issue is his personal best. Currently his best 400 metres time is 46.34 seconds, some 3 seconds behind Olympic champion Warriner's fastest time. But Oscar believes in the coming years he will only get quicker. In defence of the IAAF, they are allowing him to compete while they do their research, but thereafter it looks like they'll deny him his aim of competing at next year's Beijing Olympics in an able bodied race.

It may come as no surprise that Tom Hanks is said to be bidding for the rights to Oscar Pistorius's life story. It'd make Forrest Gump's antics look like a Sunday afternoon stroll.

Want to lobby the spoilsports at the IAAF ? Or does the spring in his step give Oscar an advantage ? Click here to access the IAAF website. 

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