Alan Oliveira

Last updated
Alan Oliveira
Alan Oliveira 2012.jpg
Oliveira in 2012
Personal information
Birth nameAlan Fonteles Cardoso Oliveira
Born (1992-08-21) August 21, 1992 (age 30)
Marabá, Brazil
Sport
Disability class T43

Alan Fonteles Cardoso Oliveira (born August 21, 1992) is a Paralympian athlete from Brazil competing mainly in category T44 sprint events. Oliveira is a double-below-the-knee amputee, classifying him in the Paralympic T43 class; athletes in this class run in T44 event.

Contents

Biography

Oliveira was born in Marabá, in the state of Pará. He had both legs amputated at the age of 21 days, after an intestinal infection led to sepsis. By the age of eight, he was competing in athletics. Oliveira began running with wooden prostheses, and started competing in races in Brazil at age 13. He began running on carbon-fibre blades at the age of 15, shortly before competing in his first Paralympics in Beijing. [1]

Competing at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, Oliveira won a silver medal in the T42–T46 4 × 100 metres relay as part of the Brazilian team, after failing to win a medal in the T44 200m. At the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London he won gold in the T44 200m, ahead of Oscar Pistorius who was a favorite to win. Immediately after the race Pistorius caused controversy by criticising the blades Oliveira had used, claiming they were too long and artificially increased his stride length, giving him an unfair advantage. Pistorius' complaint was denied at that time by the International Paralympic Committee, which stated all athletes were measured prior to the race by a classifier and all blade lengths were approved for competition. [2] [3]

The IPC also confirmed that Pistorius had raised the issue of prosthetic lengths in personal contacts about six weeks prior to the race. SASCOC issued a statement declaring their full support and promising to assist in discussions with the IPC about the issue of blade lengths after the Games. The IPC expressed willingness to discuss the issue. [4] Australian runner Jack Swift [5] and USA runner Jerome Singleton, [6] among other athletes, also expressed support for Pistorius' position regarding a possible competitive advantage.

In July 2013 at the Paralympic Anniversary Games in London Oliveira became world's fastest double amputee athlete when he completed the T43 100m race in a time of 10.57 beating his previous record of 10.77 which he had set in Berlin in June 2013. [7]

At the 2016 Summer Paralympics, held in Rio de Janeiro in his home country of Brazil, Oliveira failed to reach the final of either the 100m or 200m races in the T43 class. [8] He did however win a silver medal in the T42-T47 4 × 100 m relay as part of the Brazil team. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oscar Pistorius</span> South African sprinter and convicted murderer (born 1986)

Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius is a South African former professional sprinter and convicted murderer. Both of his feet were amputated when he was 11 months old owing to a congenital defect; he was born missing the outside of both feet and both fibulae. Pistorius ran in both nondisabled sprint events and in sprint events for below-knee amputees. He was the 10th athlete to compete at both the Paralympic Games and Olympic Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Elgin</span> Australian Paralympic athlete

Donald "Don" James William Elgin is an Australian Paralympic amputee track and field athlete who won four medals at three Paralympics.

Brian Frasure is a Paralympian athlete from the United States competing mainly in category T44 sprint events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonnie Peacock</span> British athlete

Jonathan Peacock MBE is an English sprint runner. An amputee, Peacock won gold at the 2012 Summer Paralympics and 2016 Summer Paralympics, representing Great Britain in the T44 men's 100 metres event. He won a bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 IPC Athletics World Championships</span> Paralympic track and field event

The 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships was held in Christchurch, New Zealand from January 21 to 30, 2011. Athletes with a disability competed, and the Championships was a qualifying event for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Whitehead (athlete)</span> British Paralympic athlete

Richard Whitehead MBE is a British athlete. He runs with prosthetic legs, as he has a double through-knee congenital amputation.

T43 is a disability sport classification for disability athletics, applying to athletes with "Double below knee amputation or similar disability." It includes ISOD classified athletes from the A4 and A9 classes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Africa at the 2012 Summer Paralympics</span> South Africa competing at the 2012 Summer Paralympics

South Africa competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London with a team of 62 athletes and finished 18th on the medal table.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Markus Rehm</span> German Paralympic athlete

Markus Rehm is a German Paralympic athlete. He began in sports at age 20 and became a long jump F44 world champion in 2011. His club is TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen and he is a medical specialist. Rehm is nicknamed "The Blade Jumper", as he is a long jumper with a blade-type leg prosthesis. Rehm's right leg was amputated below the knee after a wakeboarding accident. He uses a carbon-fibre bladed prosthesis, from which he jumps off.

A number of notable controversies and concerns associated with the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, UK were the subject of public debate and media commentary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arnu Fourie</span> South African Paralympic athlete

Arnu Fourie is a South African Paralympian athlete who runs in the T44 class. His is a single-below-the-knee amputee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Browne (athletics)</span>

Richard Browne is an American sprint runner. In 2007 an accident sent him through a plate glass window, which resulted in an arterial bleed causing permanent damage to his right leg. In 2010, after 14 surgical operations, his leg was amputated. "I was 16 years old in the prime of my life. I go through a window one day and from that point on my life is changed forever".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blake Leeper</span>

Blake Leeper is a United States Paralympic athlete, eight-time Paralympic Track and Field international medalist, world record holder and three-time American record holder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mechanics of Oscar Pistorius's running blades</span> Blades used by South African Paralympic runner Oscar Pistorius

The mechanics of the running blades used by South African former Paralympic runner Oscar Pistorius depend on special carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer prosthetics. Pistorius has double below-the-knee amputations and competed in both non-disabled and T44 amputee athletics events. Pistorius's eligibility to run in international non-disabled events is sanctioned by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Prince</span> American Paralympic sprinter

David Prince is an American sprint runner who runs in the T44 class. He was raised by missionary parents and traveled frequently, living for a while in Oaxaca, Mexico. He lost his right leg below the knee in a motorcycle accident in 2002.

David Behre is a German Paralympic sprint runner in the T43 class. He is a double leg amputee who lost both feet in September 2007 when his bicycle was hit by a train. While recovering in the hospital, he saw a documentary on runner Oscar Pistorius and decided to become a sprint runner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 IPC Athletics World Championships</span> Paralympic track and field event

The 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships was the biggest track and field competition for athletes with a disability since the 2012 Summer Paralympics. It was held in Lyon, France, and lasted from 20 to 28 July. Around 1,100 athletes competed, from 94 different countries. The event was held in the Stade du Rhône located at the Parc de Parilly in Vénissieux, in Lyon Metropolis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liam Malone</span> New Zealand para-athlete

Liam Bevan Malone is a former New Zealand para-athlete, primarily competing in sprint events. He represented New Zealand at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, where he won gold medals in the men's 200 metres T44 and 400 metres T44, and the silver medal in the men's 100 metres T44.

Felix Streng is a German Paralympic track and field athlete. A single leg amputee, Streng competes in both sprint and long jump events, competing in the T44 classification. He has won medals at both European and World Championship level and was part of the German Athletics at the 2016 Summer Paralympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay team that won gold at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio.

References

  1. Costas, Camilla (3 September 2012), Alan Oliveira: Athlete at centre of Oscar Pistorius row, BBC, retrieved 4 September 2012
  2. "Paralympics 2012: Oscar Pistorius beaten by Alan Oliveira in 200m". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  3. Kelso, Paul (4 September 2012). "Oscar Pistorius's tarnished gold medal win, says Alan Oliveira who had just three weeks on new blades before 200m". Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
  4. Kevin McCallum (4 September 2012), "IPC considers action against Oscar", Independent Online, archived from the original on 6 September 2012
  5. Leicester, John (5 September 2012), Column: History-maker Pistorius a hypocrite, too?, AP, retrieved 5 September 2012
  6. US sprinter backs Pistorius blade rule review, AFP, 5 September 2012, retrieved 5 September 2012
  7. Ingle, Sean (28 July 2013). "Paralympic heroes return to conquer as crowd revels in happy memories". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  8. "Richard Whitehead retains Paralympic 200m title". 12 September 2016.
  9. "Men's 4 × 100 m Relay – T42–47". Archived from the original on 2016-09-23. Retrieved 2016-09-19.