Germany bars amputee long jumper
Markus Rehm's carbon-fibre prosthesis said to give an 'unfair advantage'
Germany excluded an amputee long jumper from their team for the European Championships, saying the athlete's carbon-fibre prosthesis gives him an unfair advantage.
Paralympic champion Markus Rehm won the long jump at the German nationals last weekend with an effort of 8.24 metres. As German champion, that would normally qualify him for the August 12-17 Euros in Zurich.
But the German athletics federation, DLV, dropped him.
There is significant doubt that jumps with a leg prosthesis and a natural joint are comparable
"I find it a pity and disappointing," said Rehm, adding that he would not lodge an appeal.
The case has parallels to that of Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee South African runner who went to court to win the right to compete in the 2012 London Olympics.
DLV president Clemens Prokop said there was a "significant difference" between jumps with a blade-like prosthesis and natural jumps in run-up and lift-off.
"There is significant doubt that jumps with a leg prosthesis and a natural joint are comparable," Prokop said.
Prokop said biometric measurements conducted at the nationals in Ulm showed that Rehm's prosthesis might give him an unfair "catapult effect" that allows him longer jumps. He was also faster by a second per metre at take-off.