From the chapter:
Wicksell on foiled ambitions, and Oscar’s journey to success with the Wicksells Part 2/2
On this last assertion, I have been able to confirm Wicksell’s claim, Oscar ran his personal best (at the time at the Tuks track). He ran a 45.61 for the 400m at the Provincial Championships in Pretoria, in March 2011.
From my research Oscar’s personal best in the 400 metres came three months later, 45.07, set in July 2011 at the Meeting Internazionale di Atletica Sports Solidarity in Lignano, Italy. This is also a Paralympic word record in the T43 (double amputation below the knee) classification. The world record in the 400 for able-bodied athletes is 43.18; set 15 years ago by America’s Michael Johnson. We will touch on the relevance on Paralympic world records and the decreasing margin of these to records set by able-bodied athletes, in the following chapter.
But before we move on, an interesting question that nevertheless emerges, on this issue of dying, and lactic acid, is this: if an athlete only has half a limb, or a quarter of a limb, surely less total energy is employed by the remaining tissues of the organism. In other words, surely lactic acid is less of a limiting issue for athletes making use of carbon fibre prosthesis, especially those using two artificial legs, as opposed to one.
Wicksell says Oscar’s upper body has to do all the work, and he has to try to breathe and not ‘tighten up.’ Wicksell also points out that leg speed (or cadence) is related to arm speed. We will touch on this in the next chapter too. For now let’s take note that official race statistics appear to support the assertion that double amputees are better off (well, faster runners certainly) than single leg amputees. The world Paralympic record on 1 artificial leg, officially termed ‘single, transtibial amputation’ or T44, is 49.87 seconds, about 4 seconds slower than Oscar’s world record.
Coming back to Wicksell, did he encounter Oscar recently? I have a vague recollection, perhaps from Carte Blanche’s Oscar Trial channel, where Wicksell mentioned they’d bumped into each other in a parking lot? Wicksell answers, “Yes.”
What happened? “The thing in the parking lot was quite a strange thing for me. My daughter had just left for the University of Wyoming [in the States]. And you know I hadn’t seen him in months. And this guy parked me in, and I’m tryin’ to get out. I was screaming at him, and he came out and he said, ‘Ray, its Oscar.’ But he…
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REVIEWS:
Maggie, July 11, 2014 – 5 Stars – “Brilliant Author with a Brilliant Mind”
“This is a must read for anyone interest in why he dunnit. A riveting page turner, contains facts not covered in the trial, you won’t put it down till the end. Brilliant author with a brilliant mind. Maggie Taylor”
chuchu, September 20, 2014 – 5 Stars – “Deep, Meticulous and Thought-Provoking”
“It is amazing how this author has laid out this series, leaving nothing to chance. Everything is covered, he is saying what you are thinking and what no-one else will say. He has the background, life experience and character to bring out the truth. Very factual and analytical but also deep insight into the behaviors and personalities of everyone involved. Fantastic and creative research methods.”
Maree Watkins, August 21, 2015 – 5 Stars – “Brilliant! If you want to get to the truth and…”
“Brilliant! If you want to get to truth and dig deep for it then this book is a must read. Challenging, thought-provoking and reality-checking ourselves, tis book unputdownable! The mask of Oscar removed and the truth of Oscar exposed!”
Rumblebuffin, August 16, 2015 – 5 Stars – “A Must Read for Believers and Non-Believers”
“Another excellent tome from Mr van der Leek, ably assisted by Lisa Wilson. This is a vivid portrayal of Oscar Pistorius’ motivations and mind-set. Oscar was an icon on borrowed time/thin ice and the events of 13/02/13 have a tragic inevitability.
Anyone who interprets this book as ‘anti-Oscar,’ has totally missed the point! I came away with a clearer understanding of what may have happened that evening, and why.
Whatever the outcome of the appeal and whatever route Oscar takes next, I would recommend this book to Oscar, his family, his coach, ‘Team Pistorius,’ Annliese Burgess and the Pistorians. Otherwise, there will be ‘Another Accident Waiting to Happen’ published in the near future.
Can’t wait for ‘Fugitive’ !”
Juror13 