Translated material
Falling the hero
About Oscar Pistorius - a guy without legs who turned into a great athlete, and then into a great villain
The Paralympic from South Africa Oscar Pistorius, who in 2013 shot his girlfriend Rohkamp, will be released in January-2024.
He is called the most famous amputant runner in history. He won the Summer Paralympic Games six times (in Athens 2004, Beijing-2008 and London-2012). But I consider Pistorius a sprinter without any reservations. After all, he competed not only with his own people, but also with ordinary athletes. And reached the medals. But more importantly, another thing: by his example, Oscar made everyone believe that the impossible is possible. And then, unfortunately, he himself committed irreparably impossible ...
... When I first saw a 16-year-old guy with a radiant smile on the specialty of a 16-year-old guy, I immediately came to mind a phrase from a funny cartoon about an ostrich that the bird taught to fly. Remember: “Wings, wings ... The main thing is legs”, “Legs, legs ... The main thing is the tail.” So, looking at Oscar, one thought cruised: in order to inflate, we need, first of all, desire, willpower and a few latest technologies. But to guess that in everyday life he moved on prostheses - it was generally unrealistic.
He lost his feet when he did not fulfill and 365 days from the clan. The thing is that below the knees, its small legs did not have bones. And parents, in order to save their son from death, decided on amputation. But already at one and a half year he mastered the prostheses, and his father (former fighter), who was engaged in him from morning till night, did everything so that Oscar did not interfere not only to study normally in a regular school and communicate with peers, but also to get involved in sports. “My brother put on shoes in the morning, and I - my legs. That's the whole difference, ”the hero wrote in an autobiography released in 2008. Water Polo, Boxing, Rugby is not a complete list of what the young Pistorius succeeded in. But the injury of the knee joint, which flowed over time into the chronic version, made it forget about contact views and switch to athletics.
At the age of 17, at the Paralympics in Athens, he won bronze and gold in running 100 and 200 meters, and at the Games in Beijing he did not find equal at all sprint distances. It was Oscars for the first time in the history of such tournaments that overcame a hundred -meter of 11 seconds (which is not always possible and healthy athletes) and ran out of 50 to 400 meters. However, Oscar dreamed of competing with such as Usane Bolt and Asaph Powell. “I am not disabled, I just have a stump,” he loved to repeat. But not everything was so simple.
It is no secret that he began to run on special carbon dentures, which for a very long embarrassed officials from IAAF (International Athletics Federation). Having secured the support of scientists who did not understand all the nuances, in 2008 they made the following decision:
"Fronteming prostheses give an advantage to Pistorius over ordinary runners." And he was invited to return to "his group." It looked like nonsense.
After all, physically, he could not develop such a starting speed as strong in studs. In addition, he experienced much more difficulties in the rain and wind. And Oscar entered a new fight for himself - a judicial one. Thanks to lawyers, surveying doctors and professors of various universities, it was proved that although “carbon legs” due to lightweight and jumping to a certain extent and reduce muscle efforts, thereby helping to spend less energy, the whole thing is in the unique talent of a native of Johannesburg. As a result, the Arbitration Court in Lausanne satisfied the appeal of Pistorius and canceled the previous verdict.
The Oscar, who got rid of the Cyborg prefix, glowed with happiness and was ready for real fights. However, the trouble came from where they did not expect: driving on a boat on the Vaal River, he had an accident, having received a concussion and several more serious damage. It seemed that there was nowhere to run further. But the African Maresyev, having missed a whole year, not only managed to recover, but also improved his results at a couple of distances. He did not throw his studies at the university either. Although the training took him so much time from him that, as the athlete himself joked, he, if he receives, is closer to retirement, a diploma of a specialist in the field of management ...
It is funny that once the South African bosses almost lacked Kondrashka when Pistorius decided to participate in official races in Moto-X motorcycles and superbikes. But something to forbid the guy, and so on weekends cutting on his beloved “Yamaha”, is a gystal business. I had to come to terms. He managed to help the orthopedists improve prostheses, visit presentations, give prizes and travel. In addition, Oscar, who adored the genre of autobiographies, was seriously fond of painting and architecture. He also tried not to miss the matches of his beloved Manchester United and Lazio on TV. And just a fan of high jumps by Elena Isinbaeva. However, Oscar never had idols. “I am just striving to succeed in sports in those conditions in which I was by the will of fate. And I prove that men with disabilities are no different from those who have arms and legs, ”the modest Pistorus emphasized in his interview, who himself became an idol of millions of people around the whole planet.
The speed of a unique comrade truly did not know the boundaries. In July 2011, in Italian Lignano, he overcame 400 meters in 45.07! And officials from his native Federation included him in the application for the World Cup in TEGU. On the star, I emphasize, the championship. With a bolt, Rudish, Dwait Phillips, Anna Chicherova and other kings and queens. In a personal tournament, he made his way to the semifinals, which was already a sensation. In the relay, 4x400 Oscar, along with teammates, grabbed silver. And he found himself on the covers of all sports and unsportsmanlike media.
A year later, at the Olympics in London, the South African four will fall into the final. It will not reach the pedestal, but the Pistorius will trust the flag of South Africa at the closing ceremony. And for him it will be much more important than medals ... However, the idol of the nation will get round awards at the Paralympic Games-2012. Pistorius will take three orders: gold at a distance of 400 meters and in the 4x100 relay, as well as silver - on a two hundred meter.
It seemed that there would be new starts and records. But six months later, the world rolled over for Oscar ... Or rather, he turned it over. Irreparable and capital.
On the eve of Valentine's Day, Pistorius killed his girlfriend Ring Stenkamep. When this information flew around the world, many accepted such news for a stupid joke. It was just as difficult to believe in it
How to believe it a long time ago that a guy without legs and without any doping will overtake muscular leaders on the garnet path.
But the murder turned out to be true. He really in his own house shot the beauty-photodel to roar through a closed door to the toilet room.
... They met at a party in November 2012, and their romance developed rapidly. Happy, smiling and successful - Reva and Oscar pleased their fans with wonderful pictures and funny stories. "They will have such beautiful kids!" - relatives of a sweet couple were touched. But the fairy tale ended rapidly.
So what happened to Pistorius? Some believe that it was an eclipse. Others believe that Oscar, despite the image of an unbending macho, always had problems of an internal nature and terrible habits. Still others are sure that the champion just went a roof from glory and money that had fallen on him ...
... When the Johannesburg police reacted to the call and arrived under the roof of the mansion known to everyone, she found the famous countryman sobbing on the floor in the gym. His clothes were in blood. On the very first floor with three bullet wounds lay a Reva Stankap.
You won’t get into the soul of Pistorius, but at a debut meeting he behaved not like a manly, saying that he had killed his girlfriend by mistake, taking for a robber:
“Early in the morning it seemed to me how the glass door came off, and also the noise in the bathroom. I was scared: there are no sieves on the windows in the bathroom. There were no prostheses on me, but I can move on stumps. I was convinced that someone penetrated the house. I grabbed a gun from under the bed and headed for the bathroom. I ordered the Revoy to call the police, and shouted to the thieves to get out of my house. The bedroom was dark, I was sure that my friend was lying in bed. I heard a rustle in the toilet booth. It seemed to me that a robber that penetrated through the window hung up, and without prostheses, I felt helpless and did not know how to protect the roar and myself. The door slammed shut, and the stumps limited my mobility. I shot and shouted to Revoy again to call the police, but she did not answer. I returned to the bedroom and realized that there was no reel. I began to call from the balcony to the rescue, and then put on the prostheses and rushed to the closed door. I grabbed a baseball bat, knocked out the door and found a roar. I called an ambulance, put my beloved on the floor and tried to make artificial breathing, but she only wheezed ... "
This version could not withstand any criticism. In South Africa, of course, not too calm. The thefts of the rich there are in the order of things. But why should a thief lock up in the bathroom? Yes, and find yourself in a house surrounded by a three -meter fence with barbed wire under electric voltage, is very problematic. There were also enough other inconsistencies. In addition, injuries were discovered on the head of the Reva, and on the bat-her blood ... And when the neighbors reported that the Pistorius house an hour before the murder was a quarrel accompanied by the cries of two people, it became obvious that the thief was born exclusively in the fantasies of the Oscar, which was found in everything else, an unregistered 38th caliber gun.
Nevertheless, the process, which turned into a reality show not only in South Africa, lasted almost five years. Since Oscar and his lawyers at various trials ate a dog. And at first, many thought that Pistorus, who launched a tear at every hearing, would be able to get out.
Only on August 19, 2013, the court officially accused Begun of a worshiping murder. A year later, a psychiatric examination confirmed the absolute seniority of the Oscar at the time of shooting at Stenkamp. And in October 2014 he was sentenced to five years, although he was threatened five times more. But Judge Tokosile Masipa took into account the physical condition of Pistorius and his merits to society.
After 12 months, he left prison, as the special commission decided that he would spend the rest of the term under house arrest in the house of his uncle (they say, there are no conditions for the maintenance of a disabled person in the correctional institution). But the happy end failed. The Reva family was shocked by such a verdict and continued to insist on a more strict punishment. "He consciously killed our daughter and must sit for life!" - Startkap's parents claimed and appealed. In December 2015, the Supreme Court of South Africa satisfied the protest of the prosecutor's office and again sent Oscar behind bars. And in November 2017, he increased the Pistorius period to 13 years and 5 months.
The casemate “adventures” of Oscar is a separate story. It was reported that he was beaten by prisoners and that he also once participated in a mass fight. He thundered in a prison hospital, as he “fell” from the bed and supposedly tried to make suicide. Pistorus himself accused the nurse of poisoning him ... Seven years ago he was nevertheless transferred to a more comfortable center for serving a conclusion for the disabled in Atteridzhville. All this time, of course, the athlete's party did everything to build up the client’s term. For example, his friend, a well -known British athlete Martin Rooney (three -time European champion and Olympic medalist), corresponding with an Oscar and visiting him in prison, convinced everyone that Pistorus could not shoot his girlfriend intentionally. “The roar cannot be returned, and the Oscar, who has long redeemed his guilt, will suffer in the cell ... Why?” - Such an opinion was expressed by Sprinter Rooney. But the father of Reva, who also went to look into the eyes of Oscar a year ago, did not see any repentance.
“I was hoping that at least ten years later he admits the murder of my daughter in a fit of rage! But he did not do this, ”Barry Stenkop lamented.
However, ten years have passed. According to the laws of South Africa, who committed a serious crime should sit out more than half of the sentence in order to have the right to parole. And Pistorius received this right. And the department of correctional institutions, having considered his autumn request (the March petition was rejected), decided to release the athlete in January-2024 ...
... About Oscars and this truly Shakespearean tragedy have already shot several films. And they will probably be removed again. But now it is important what will happen to him further. Yes, the razor running along the blade (the nickname of Pistorius) will soon be released. But besides relatives and friends, judging by the moods among the people, no one awaits him. Returning to the track and continuing to compete at 37 years is extremely difficult. In addition, all the sponsors and benefactors turned away from him.
“The life of the convict will never be the same. He is a fallen hero who lost his career and condition, ”Judge Tokosile Masipa said these words, passing the sentence to Pistorius.
But for some reason, I want an Oscar that committed a monstrous crime, which once for many children to follow, he found the strength to stand on his feet in every sense.