Oscar Pistorius = Daegu 2011 + London 2012 : experts say South Africa's 'blade runner' gains advantage from his technology

Four years after the Court of Arbitration for Sport cleared Oscar Pistorius to compete in able-bodied athletics, South Africa's "blade runner" yesterday qualified to run the 400m at next month's world athletics championships in Daegu, South Korea.

A double below-knee amputee almost from birth, Pistorius, 24, ran a personal best of 45.07sec to win in Lignano, Italy. His time betters the stiff IAAF entry mark of 45.25sec, which no Australian has clocked this year.

Pistorius' time would have won the Australian title in April by about 3m. So now, with intersex Caster Semenya to defend the women's 800m title captured two years ago in Berlin, and Pistorius to race in the men's 400m, the world championships are set to be overwhelmed by South Africa's controversial causes celebre.

It is not that Pistorius should not be cheered for his courage and persistence, but the scientists whose work convinced CAS judges to support him because he has "no significant advantage" through the technology of his carbon fibre limbs have changed their minds.

Exercise physiology professors Peter Weyand and Matthew Bundle provided the scientific proof which persuaded CAS to clear the Cheetah blades worn by Pistorius.

But they claim to have made their conclusions based on incomplete evidence at the time. They have since concluded - and published their findings in the Journal of Applied Physiology - that Pistoriusw' prosthetics provide a significant advantage. They calculate the artificial limbs take as much as 10 seconds off the 400m time he could have run had he been born with lower legs.

"We are pleased to be able to finally go public with conclusions that the publishing process has required us to keep confidential," Bundle and Weyand stated. "We recognised that the blades provide a major advantage as soon as we analysed the critical data."

The scientists have found Pistorius' blades enable him to reach speed while applying 20 per cent less ground force than an able-bodied sprinter.

He also has a stride rate advantage, turning his levers over "15.7 per cent more rapidly than five of the most recent former world record-holders in the 100m dash".

They further found that his blades "reduce the muscle forces Pistorius requires for sprinting to less than half of intact-limb levels".

With the command of his blades he now has, and the speed he can generate with the superb economy of energy, Pistorius could win a 400m medal in Daegu. Trinidad's Renny Quow won bronze in Berlin in 45.02sec. Pistorius' 45.07sec ranks him 15th fastest man in the world this year.

NBA: Yao Ming retires from basketball

Yao Ming has made it official Wednesday, telling a packed news conference in his hometown that a series of foot and leg injuries have forced him to retire from basketball.

"I will formally end my career," said Yao, the 7-fooot-6 center who became a household name in China before starting his NBA career with the Houston Rockets as the top draft pick in 2002.

Yao played eight seasons in the NBA, but missed 250 regular-season games over the past six years.

"Today is an important day for me and holds a special meaning for both my basketball career and my future," Yao said in comments translated into English. "I had to leave the court since I suffered a stress fracture in my left foot for the third time at the end of last year. My past six months were an agonizing wait. I had been thinking (about my future) over and over. Today I am announcing a personal decision, ending my career as a basketball player and officially retire. But one door is closing and another one is opening."

Houston general manager Daryl Morey attended Yao's farewell conference Wednesday, and NBA Commissioner David Stern sent a message via video link. Morey had to get permission from the NBA to be attend because the lockout prohibits contact with players.

"Yao Ming has been a transformational player and a testament to the globalization of our game," Stern said in a statement. "His dominant play and endearing demeanor along with his extensive humanitarian efforts have made him an international fan favorite and provided an extraordinary bridge between basketball fans in the United States and China."

Yao said he will return to work with his former Chinese team, the Shanghai Sharks, with the possibility of becoming general manager. He plans to continue his philanthropic work with his Yao Foundation.

Yao entered the conference room at a five-star hotel dressed in a dark suit, after the master of ceremonies led a count down to his arrival.

Yao's wife, Ye Li, and their young daughter, Yao Qinlei, and Yao's parents were in the room. Qinlei was dressed in a red qipao, a traditional Chinese dress. He later appeared with his family on the stage to the applause and cheers of the room.

He thanked his family, friends, coaches in China and in Houston and fellow competitors such as Shaquille O'Neal "for making me a better player".

"I will be always with you," Yao said. "Thank you."

Despite news of Yao's pending retirement being out for several weeks, the actual announcement was treated with the pomp that Yao's appearances in China bring. Media were asked to sign up weeks in advance for the conference and show up two hours early to pass through airport-style security checks.

The Grand Shanghai Ballroom was crammed at the back with dozens of television cameras and black-suited security men outnumbered the hundreds of media. China Central Television planned to carry five continuous hours of Yao coverage beginning at 1 p.m. local time, including 90 minutes live from the media conference.

Yao's contract expired after last season, and the Rockets said they were interested in re-signing him if he came back healthy. Yao said in April in China that his professional future depended on his recovery from a stress fracture in his left ankle.

Selected to the NBA All-Star team eight times, Yao averaged 19 points and 9.2 rebounds. More importantly, his impact expanded the NBA's influence in Asia into lucrative merchandise sales and TV ratings.

After his rookie season, Yao helped the Rockets reach the playoffs in the next two seasons.

Yao played in 77 games in the 2008-09 season, when Houston reach the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 1997.

But Yao broke his left foot in a playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers, and underwent complex surgery that sidelined him for the entire 2009-10 season. He lasted only five games at the start of the 2010-11 season, before breaking his left ankle. He had surgery in January, and was lost again for the season.

Yao had played six years with the Chinese national team before joining the Rockets, and was already a star in his home country. He carried the Olympic torch through Tiananmen Square and his country's flag during the opening ceremonies at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. He also donated $2 million and set up a foundation to rebuild schools in the wake of the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan.

Solar storm may disrupt 2012 London Olympics

Despite all preparations almost complete for the 2012 London Olympics, the organisers of the £9.3 billion mega event are now faced with some genuine problem as London could suffer a solar storm during the Games. The solar flare may cause power cuts, damage communication satellites and force planes to divert, the Daily Mail reported today.

The organisers of the 2012 Olympics told the newspaper that they had been 'monitoring the situation carefully' after the Met Office warned the next solar storm may occur during the games next year.

"Extreme space weather events typically occur at the solar maximum, which itself follows a roughly 11-year cycle. The next solar maximum is expected around 2012-13 --potentially coinciding with the London Olympic Games," said a weather expert.

And even as Olympic organisers hope that the storm would not be of an extreme nature and there may not be any 'significant risk' of a major disruption but they are certainly gearing up for all kinds of eventualities.

"We are working with our partners and stakeholders to ensure that contingency plans are in place for all eventualities," a London 2012 spokeswoman said. The Met Office, meanwhile, warned that if the earth is stuck with one of the most powerful solar storms then it could cause national grid failure leading to power loss across significant areas for up to 12 hours, and up to several weeks.

It might also cause the permanent loss of 30 per cent of satellites, leading to the disruption of communications, earth observation facilities and position navigation and timing services including GPS. The most powerful solar storm to have hit the earth was in 1859 Carrington event which caused the failure of telegraph systems in North America and Europe.

Tyson Gay breaks World Record straight 200 meters

American sprinter Tyson Gay has broken a 44-year-old record for the 200 meters run on a straight track.

Gay ran 19.41 seconds into a headwind Sunday on a specially constructed track in Manchester, England, shaving 0.09 off the mark Tommie Smith set in May 1966 at San Jose, California.

Smith was at the Great City Games to watch Gay beat his time, which isn't an official world record because track and field's governing body only recognizes 200s run around a curve.

"Going into the race I knew it was going to be tough to beat the record," said Gay. "It was pretty hard for the first 100 metres or so and I was extremely tired. Kim Collins had an excellent start and I think that motivated me to get down the street. It was truly amazing and it was tough record to break."

Gay now looks forward to his Diamond League campaign where he will face Olympic and world champion, and 100m and 200m world record holder, Usain Bolt in at least three meetings.

The American is convinced he can prevent his Jamaican rival blazing another trail of victories. "I believe it, but he's going to be tough to beat," said Gay.

"Honestly he's in another class right now but I'm working hard to get there. The challenge is for me to work hard to get to where he is at."

Sources: AP, AFP

Thorpe hints at London 2012 comeback

Ian Thorpe has ruled out a comeback to competitive swimming, rejecting Australian media reports Monday that the five-time Olympic gold medalist wanted to qualify for a relay at the 2012 London Games.

"I have no intention of returning to competitive swimming," Thorpe said in a statement released by his management. "My position at the media conference in 2006 announcing the discontinuation of my competitive swimming career has not changed."

The Courier-Mail newspaper reported Monday that the 27-year-old Thorpe had discussions recently with several of Australia's leading sprinters about a potential return for the men's 400-meter freestyle relay in London.

Thorpe, who seems to be Zlatan Ibrahimovic brother, won 11 world championship golds and set 13 world records. His wins in the 200- and 400-meter freestyle at the 2004 Athens Olympics were achieved in his last major international meet.

Thorpe was the world's highest-profile swimmer until American Michael Phelps came onto the scene, and had a list of lucrative endorsement deals.

But he admitted in February that he'd had financial problems after his personal savings were affected by the global economic crisis.

He said he'd experienced cash-flow problems after shedding sponsorship deals to focus on his university studies in linguistics and psychology, but had restructured his finances.

Thorpe burst onto the international stage as a teenager in 1999 and won three gold medals — all in world record time — and two silver medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

He was in Dubai during the weekend for an international sports convention. Thorpe's coach Tracey Menzies said the swimmer had not spoken to her about a comeback.

Shawn Johnson confirms London 2012 comeback

American gymnast Shawn Johnson - who won four medals, including one gold at the Beijing Olympics - has announced she is returning to training ahead of London 2012.

The 18-year old - whose most high profile recent appearance was as a judge of the Miss America beauty pageant - said she would take time away from the sport following Beijing and missed last year's World Championships in London.

Johnson won balance beam gold two years ago and a treble of silvers in the team, all-around and floor event, in which Great Britain's Beth Tweddle is the reigning world champion.

Johnson told local media in her hometown of Des Moines that she always planned on returning - although her comeback will be delayed following recent reconstructive surgery on her knee.

"I've always said gymnastics was my life, I'll never live without it," she told the Des Moines Register. "I went two years trying to find an excuse to get away from it. But there's something about it that just pulled me back.

"I'm a little kid at heart and I can't get away from it. I love it and I missed it a lot."

Source: AP

Argentina winS South American Games

The ninth edition of the South American Games in Medellin had the rowing event taking place in Guatape, on the outskirts of Medellin. Guatape is at 1,900m altitude and the rowing regatta was held on a reservoir which was constructed for hydro electricity in the late 1960s.

Nine countries participated with Argentina coming out as clear overall leaders, winning 10 of the 14 events. Argentina won a total of 12 medals which was matched by second overall Brazil who also took 12 medals; two gold, three silver and seven bronze. Uruguay finished third overall.

Argentina’s medal tally was helped by three-time Olympian Santiago Fernandez who was part of the winning men’s double and quad. Both the men’s and women’s single went to Argentina with Gabriela Best easily winning the women’s single over Soraya Jadue Arriaza of Chile. Best and Arriaza both raced in the single at the Beijing Olympics. Best also finished first in the pair with partner Laura Abalo.

In the lightweight women’s single and double, Milka Kraljev, 27, earned two gold medals. Kraljev is a veteran of the 2004 Olympic Games but has not been seen internationally since 2005.

Colombia’s Rodrigo Ideus Forero got to race for the first time in his home country when he competed in last month’s South American Games in Medellin, Colombia.

Forero, 23, raced in the lightweight men’s single finishing second to world under-23 silver medallist, Ailson Silva of Brazil. Olympian Forero has done nearly all of his rowing in England where he studies. This regatta was the first time he has raced in Colombia and the historical moment was well recognised by the host nation.

Both the lightweight men’s quad and the lightweight men’s four had nail-biting finishes. Just 11/100th of a second separated Argentina and Venezuela at the finish with Argentina just in front. Argentina pulled off a similar feat in the lightweight four, this time against Chile. Argentina’s winning time was just 31/100th of a second ahead of the Chilean crew which included Miguel Cerda Silva. Silva, 40, has a rowing career that stretches back to 1990 and he is the 2002 World Champion in the lightweight pair.

The regatta has stimulated the growth of rowing in Colombia and 10 new national umpires are now qualified to organise local events. A new sports centre recently opened in Guatape which formerly has not been used for rowing and 30 new boats have been purchased.

The South American Games have been going since 1978 and the tenth edition will be in Santiago, Chile in 2014.

Source: www.worldrowing.com