Oscar Pistorius

Oscar Pistorius on the track

Early years

Born without a fibula in both legs, Pistorius was only 11 months old when his parents made the heart-wrenching decision to have his limbs amputated below the knee. He says he never really knew anything different. As a child, he announced to his father that one day he would play in the Super 8 rugby event, a sign of the ambition and determination that would characterize his future approach to life. He did indeed play rugby, water polo and tennis as a schoolboy. Then, in January 2004, Pistorius shattered his right knee on the rugby field. Doctors recommended he switch to track events.

Under 22 seconds: The first World Record

At just 17 years of age, after training for only two months, Pistorius took on the 100m sprint in an open competition at the Pilditch stadium in his hometown of Pretoria. He ran it in an astounding 11.51 seconds; the world record was 12.20.

A mere eight months later, Pistorius raced alongside Marlon Shirley and Brian Frasure at the 2004 Paralympics Games in Athens. Creating a sensation in the athletics world, he took the silver medal behind Shirley in the 100m. He also won gold in the 200m, breaking the world record with a time of 21.97 seconds. This made him the first amputee ever to run the 200m in under 22 seconds. He went home with four world records and the determination to do it again.

At the South African Championships in March 2005, Pistorius ran the 400m in the Open/Able-Bodied category and achieved 6th place in the final competition. That same year, he also won the gold in both the 100m and 200m while representing South Africa in the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester, England. Subsequently, the IAAF invited him to run in a Grand Prix meeting in Helsinki and at the World Championship in Manchester, making him the first disabled athlete ever invited to such events; a huge honor.

Oscar managed to shave a further 0.3 seconds off his 200m record at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, bringing it to 21.67. Also taking first place in the 100m and 400m events, Oscar secured himself a place in the history books by becoming the first ever Paralympian to win gold in all three events.

In 2011, a slimmer, trimmer Pistorius took two further competitions by storm, securing a new 400m championship record at the IPC Athletic World Championships in New Zealand and a new world record for the event at the Paralympic World Cup in the UK in May. The latter event also saw him secure Gold for the 100m, with a time of 11.04 seconds, a personal best.

Meeting Nelson Mandela

As part of the celebrations to mark some outstanding performances in Beijing and an incredible haul of 30 medals for the South African Paralympic team as a whole, Pistorius was delighted to meet former President Nelson Mandela.

Oscar's 'Blades'

As a bilateral amputee, Pistorius has always competed in both T43 (double limb loss, below-knee) and T44 events (single limb loss, below-knee). His T43 world records in the 100m, 200m and 400m races are all faster than the T44 world records. He credits his running legs – the Flex-Foot® Cheetah® from Össur (often referring to them as his blades) – with enabling him to run at his fastest and accomplish his unique achievements. He also finds comfortable walking and the ability to remain active in his Modular IIITM feet from Össur (part of the Flex-Foot range) that he wears off the track.

Aiming for the London 2012 Olympics

Pistorius has now broken his own world records almost 30 times and is still working toward becoming the fastest sprinter in the world. He has no plans to stop running at the Paralympics, which helped shape the competitive athlete he is today. However, he has never hidden his dual ambition to become the first Paralympic athlete to compete at the IAAF World Championships and the Olympic Games.

In 2008 the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) ruled that his prostheses were ineligible for use in IAAF-authorized competitions, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport later reversed that ban, clearing the way for Pistorius to compete in the Olympics should he qualify. His best time of 45.61 seconds for the 400m at the 2011 Provincial Championships in Pretoria, South Africa is inside the ‘B’ qualification standard for the Olympic Games and is just 0.06 seconds short of the 'A' standard needed for automatic Olympic qualification, should South Africa grant him a place on their 2012 squad. So, watch this space!

Cheetah Product Information

For almost 15 years, scores of dedicated athletes have been using Össur’s legendary prosthetic sprinting foot the Flex-Foot Cheetah to compete at every level of sport. Today, it is internationally recognized as the gold standard in sports feet for elite athletes with limb loss.

The technology used in the Flex-Foot Cheetah from Össur has existed since 1997, and has not experienced any significant updates since that time.

What is it?

The Flex-Foot Cheetah from Össur is a J-shaped, high performance sprinting foot. Made of light, but extremely strong carbon composite, this prosthetic foot is designed to store and release energy in order to mimic the actions of the anatomical foot/ankle joint.

Who is it for?

The Flex-Foot Cheetah from Össur was designed for all types of lower-limb amputees who wish to sprint at a competitive and/or recreational level. 

How does the Flex-Foot Cheetah work?

The Flex-Foot Cheetah from Össur is a passive prosthetic foot that uses patented carbon technology to efficiently store and release the energy produced its user while running. The shape, which resembles the hind leg of a Cheetah – hence the name – acts like a shock absorber and spring. The "J" curve is compressed at impact, storing energy as well as absorbing high levels of stress that would otherwise impact the user’s knee, hip, and lower back.  At ‘toe-off’, the "J" returns back to its original shape, releasing a percentage of the stored energy in the same way that the anatomical leg does and helping to propel the user forward.

The foot’s design incorporates extra layers of carbon at higher stress points, such as the apex of the "J" curve, and less carbon where more flexibility is needed, such as the toe portion. Importantly, the Flex-Foot Cheetah from Össur has no heel component. This ensures that the reaction of the foot accurately mimics that of an able-bodied runner by keeping the user on the "balls of their feet," as well as producing a quicker reaction from the loading response in comparison with traditional prosthetic feet.

What does this mean for the amputee?

Ultimately, the Flex-Foot Cheetah from Össur allows athletes to train harder and longer, which can help to support higher levels of performance. The smooth reaction and dampening effect of the foot allows the user to focus on the task at hand, and not on what the foot is doing.

Customization of the Flex-Foot Cheetah from Össur 

The carbon technology is sometimes customized for the user. The optimum thickness or stiffness of the foot is dependent on the user’s body weight, residual limb length and alignment of the foot in relation to running style. Customization can help optimize individual performance, as well as improving the durability of the foot. Prosthetists can also customize the toe shape and tread plate attached to the bottom of the foot, applying a spike plate from a sprinting shoe or the sole of a tennis shoe for example to assure traction and conformity to the running surface.

Is the Flex-Foot Cheetah a bionic foot?

No. Bionic limbs incorporate sophisticated technology such as sensors, microprocessors and motors that have the ability to supply powered movement and responses for the user, based on feedback captured throughout the gait cycle.

The Flex-Foot Cheetah from Össur is a passive prosthetic foot, which means it is limited to returning a portion of the energy stored during the loading phase of running. Studies have shown that the Flex-Foot Cheetah can return up to 90% of the load applied to it. In contrast, the anatomical foot/ankle/gastroc system can return up to 249%.

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