Kiwi 'blade runner' wants to beat Pistorius

19-year-old University of Canterbury commerce student, Liam Malone, who lost both legs at the age...
19-year-old University of Canterbury commerce student, Liam Malone, who lost both legs at the age of two, trials his new running-blades for the first time on a treadmill at Canterbury University. Photo by Martin Hunter

New Zealand's own 'blade runner' hit the ground running today in his attempt to become our fastest paralympian and fulfil his ultimate goal; to "beat Pistorius".

Liam Malone, a 19-year-old university student who lost both legs at the age of two, trialled new custom-made running-blades for the first time.

The high-tech US-made blades are fixed temporarily to a high-density plastic socket so Mr Malone can make adjustments before a permanent carbon fibre socket is created.

Today at the University of Canterbury, where he's studying commerce, he eased into his new blades with fine-tuning from researchers at the university's sports programme and a team from the Christchurch Artificial Limb Centre.

After a shaky start walking around on the springy fake legs and saying he "feels taller", he was itching to get on the treadmill.

He was getting the technicians to slowly increase the pace, starting at a leisurely 2kmh, and rising to 9kmh.

The odd stumble and saved fall didn't put him off.

"I've never really experienced anything like this before - the energy return is just crazy," Mr Malone said as he bounded along.

He found it difficult to speak while on the treadmill.

"I'm concentrating too hard. I'm not co-ordinated."

A high-speed camera recorded his movements and helped the team study his biomechanics.

Graham Flanagan, national prosthetics manager at the New Zealand Artificial Limb Board, has worked with Mr Malone since he was two.

He helped analyse the footage and make small adjustments to the blades to help him feel more comfortable.

After three stints on the machine, Mr Malone called it a day, but was pleased with the progress.

"To get to where I am now is awesome. I'm on my way," he said.

The Wakefield athlete was born with a condition named fibular hemimelia, which meant both of his legs had to be amputated below the knee when he reached the age of two.

He started skiing around the age of six and switched to snowboarding when he was 13. But now the sports-mad athlete from Wakefield, Nelson, has turned his attentions to sprinting, and wants to be New Zealand's top sprinter at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio.

"He's desperate to beat [the original 'blade runner' Oscar] Pistorius," said dad Murray Malone, referring to the star South African athlete currently awaiting trial for the murder of his model girlfriend.

He sat down with his son recently to watch videos of the London 2012 Paralympics sprint finals.

Afterwards, he turned to his Dad and said: "I'm going to beat all of them - especially Oscar Pistorius."

Mr Malone has no doubts his son will achieve his dream.

"It pained me so much to see him suffering as a child, but to look at him now, it's amazing,' he said.

Liam was always "like an Energiser bunny", as a kid, said Matt Robb, a prosthetic technician at the Christchurch Artificial Limb Centre who's made limbs for other paralympic athletes, including legendary swimmer Sophie Pascoe.

The $25,000 blades were donated by the manufacturer Ossur, while the associated costs of making sockets and setting them up have been paid for by fundraising.

"I owe New Zealand a lot," Liam said.

He wants to pay the country back by beating Pistorius.

 

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