[Sportsandrec] Road Racing

[James Fetter]

I'm not sure if this is also the case for running, but in swimming, 
totally blind swimmers aren't even close to Olympic qualifying times at 
this point. A lot of this is certainly attributable to social barriers 
and problems with access to the best training programs, but part of it 
is also a result of the advantages that vision gives a sighted athlete 
in navigating a racecourse or racing lane, in getting exactly the right 
form, etc. Sighted athletes at the elite level watch themselves and 
others on video all the time; alternative techniques need to be 
developed for and by blind athletes. Of course there is only one world 
record holder, but most people at the elite level in track and field, 
swimming, etc are at least close to that world record holder. Thus, 
until the times of blind athletes at the elite level start approaching 
those of sighted athletes, it seems worthwhile to have separate 
competitions, and it is certainly worth doing so if it allows people who 
otherwise wouldn't have the confidence to compete in anything to get 
involved. After all, how else are alternative training techniques going 
to be refined to the extent necessary to compete with sighted athletes 
at the highest level, unless elite blind athletes have the chance to 
network and train together on occasion? I don't like affirmative action, 
if it means a permanently lowered set of expectations, but it may be a 
necessary evil if it leads to full, fair integration and competition.
James

On 4/18/2009 8:53 PM, Thornbury, Kelly wrote:
> True that you probably haven't seen a blind runner challenging the world record times, but out of the hundreds of millions of runners in the world, there is only one world record holder...and maybe the first blind world record holder for any particular running event has already been born. Again, it's not blindness, but ultimately genetics that defines the record holder's potential. The 2008 Boston marathon had approximately 22,000 registered competitors, and only one winner...less than 0.000045%
> Its like playing the genetic/athletic lottery, and while the blind record holder may never develop, it shouldn't be because of blindness. I personally hope and believe that that person is out there, finding new ways to train, and has their sights set on breaking more than records, but social/competitive barriers as well. 
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