German athlete Markus Rehm just wants a chance to compete in the Olympics. Due to his prosthetic leg, he may not be afforded that opportunity.
Rehm, a long jumper who lost his leg at the age of 14 after an infection developed in his right leg following a boating accident, has managed to persevere through a life of difficulty and hardship beyond what most people have ever or will ever be asked to face. Incredibly, he's also turned himself into a world-class athlete in the process. Unfortunately, it seems his disability may keep him from taking part in the 2016 Olympic Games. Not because he won't be able to compete with the other regular-bodied athletes, but because some athletic and Olympic officials believe his prosthesis gives him an unfair advantage.
"I would offer to compete off of the rankings," 26-year-old Rehm said recently, via Eric Adelson of Yahoo Sports. "I would. I have a chance to win a medal in the Paralympics, and I'm quite fine with that. I don't want to win the [Olympic] medal if it's not clear I didn't have an advantage. I am the one who has to sleep at night."
Early last month, Rehm took part in the German Championships and jumped 8.11 meters, the equivalent of approximately 26.5 feet, which was good enough for a victory by a healthy margin. And yet Rehm went home empty-handed as the German athletics federation (DLV) did not officially count his jump, determining that his prosthetic leg provides a "catapult effect," and therefore, an unfair advantage.
Rehm's personal-best jump of 8.29 meters would have been good enough for silver at the 2012 games. He won the 2014 German national championship, breaking his own T44 Paralympic record. He would have won again this year, against able-bodied competition, had the DLV counted his result. This year, only six athletes in the world have out jumped Rehm.
But this is where philosophical issues of Rehm's potential "advantage" arise. DLV president Clemens Prokop stated last year that there are "significant differences" between blade jumps and natural jumps, but do "differences" equate with "advantages?"
Some athletes have monetary and therefore preparatory advantages. Some have equipment advantages. Some have genetic advantages, some have coaching advantages. And what of braces, contact lenses, reconstructive surgeries? The question then becomes; where is the line? Athletes of all shapes and sizes look for every possible advantage, hence the recent worldwide doping revelation, hence the NFL's Deflategate scandal. Is one type of advantage better or more acceptable than another?
At this point, it's uncertain what Rehm's status will be for the upcoming games, but International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) deputy general secretary Nick Davies said recently, per Yahoo, that the possibility of Rehm and other Paralympians taking part in the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro will be considered "in the coming weeks."
Still, despite his burning desire to compete against the best in his field, Rehm first and foremost wants to ensure that he brings no competitive advantage to the games.
"I don't want to win from an advantage from a prosthesis," he says. "I want to win from my ability. The reason I compete is not to take something away from other athletes. I just want to do my sport."
