Paralympic long jump champion, Markus Rehm, is leaping towards victory, and proving his doubters wrong along the way.
After findings collected from a study by the German Sport University were observed, researchers deemed the results inconclusive concerning Rehm’s use of a prosthetic blade.
With help from the University of Colorado and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Tokyo, the research showed that although Rehm had a less efficient running start, he did produce a more efficient jump.
Running-specific parathletes may experience a disadvantage, but those who participate in the long jump were said to have better overall technique. This finding leaves the discussion wide open. Does this help, or hinder the athlete?
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After losing his lower right leg in a wakeboarding accident when he was 14, Rehm has experienced an uphill athletic battle, but as the saying goes, “Hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard.”
Now, Rehm is the Paralympic champion and world record holder in the long jump with a leap of 8.40 meters, nine centimeters further than 2012 London Olympic goal medalist, Greg Rutherford.
Participating in the Olympics would make Rehm the second Olympic athlete to compete after Oscar Pistorius did in London 2012.
Although the study shows there could be a major disadvantage to the prosthesis, Wolfgang Potthast of the Institute of Biometrics and Orthopedics at the German Sport University Cologne noted that it was, “difficult if not impossible” to determine whether Rehm’s blade gives him an advantage or not.
“We saw disadvantages in the run-up for athletes with amputations of the lower thigh that we could determine were due to the prosthesis,” he said. “These are two completely different movements and cannot be offset.”
After being restricted from competition by the German team at the European Championships due to field officials believing the prosthesis could give him unfair catapult effects, Rehm leaned towards accepting “defeat”.
“Since the German championship in 2014 it has been an ordeal. It’s difficult for me to hear these charges (of having an advantage). I don’t want to have any advantage. On the other hand, you feel you have to apologize to other athletes,” Rehm said. “There were times when I asked myself if it was worth it.”
The International Association Athletics Federations (IAFF) also requires amputee competitors to provide information that they are not receiving an unfair advantage over able-bodied athletes, and the research has shown that Rehm is within those regulations.
“One could not determine an advantage through the prosthesis and that makes me happy,” said Rehm, “I have not given up hope of making it to Rio. It is not about medals but about presenting Paralympic sport.”
Rehm and parathletes like him may soon have another option – the 2016 Cybathlon.
This competition is “a championship for pilots with disabilities who are using advanced assistive devices including robot technology.” It is intended to exhibit the abilities of parathletes, and showcase ultramodern technology used throughout the Cybathlon.
“The competitions are comprised of different disciplines that will test the ability of pilots to navigate a series of everyday tasks while using a powered knee prosthesis, wearable arm prosthesis, powered exoskeleton, powered wheelchair, electrically stimulated muscles and novel brain-computer interfaces,” according to the Cybathlon site.
However, Rehm’s focus is on the Olympics.
“I have not given up hope of making it to Rio,” he said. “It is not about medals but about presenting Paralympic sport.”
With the another step in his journey complete, Rehm waits patiently. Ready to take another leap into shattering the parathlete barrier once again and perhaps, another world record.