Definition: techno-doping

(TECHNOlogy-DOPING) Using technology to increase the physical attributes of a human being. The term was coined for athletes such as Oscar Pistorius, the South African athlete, whose J-shaped, carbon fiber artificial legs enabled him to set Paralympic sprinting records. Pistorius, then 21 and a double amputee since infancy, asked to qualify for the Beijing 2008 Olympics but was banned that January by the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF). They said his unique prosthetic blades gave him a competitive edge. In May 2008, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that he could compete if he qualified; however, in July, he fell less than a second short of the 45.55 second qualifying time to run 400 meters.