Paralympic champion to write to Coe in bid to compete at Olympics

Paralympic and world long jump champion Markus Rehm will write to International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Sebastian Coe as he continues his campaign to compete at next year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, according to reports in Germany.

Rehm broke his own world record with a jump of 8.40 metres at this year’s International Paralympic Committee Athletics World Championships in Doha, which would have been enough to win the Olympic gold medal at London 2012.

The German’s jump was nine centimetres further than Briton Greg Rutherford’s effort at the Games three years ago.

Rehm has made his intentions clear and says he wants to test himself against able-bodied athletes at Rio 2016, though the IAAF are yet to confirm whether he will be able to compete.

World athletics’ governing body has recently tightened on the rules on the use of prosthesis, which must be subjected to rigorous testing before they are allowed to be used in able-bodied competitions, but the exact regulations remain unclear.

“We want accurate information about the rule change, so I know what I deliver to data needs, and make it clear once again that we are not entirely happy for keeping the decision,” Rehm told the German Press Agency (DPA).

The development marks the latest in an ongoing case after the 27-year-old won the German National Championships against able-bodied competitors in 2014, which would have been enough to earn him an automatic spot on the team for that year’s European Championships in Zurich.

The German Athletics Federation ruled, however, they could not select Rehm as they believed his prosthetic blade could give him an unfair advantage over the rest of the field.

Markus Rehm's Paralympic world record is further than Greg Rutherford jumped to win gold at London 2012 ©Getty Images

It has been claimed by experts that the blade may enable a better take off and Rehm, who hopes to to participate at Rio 2016 to raise the profile of Paralympic sport, says it is “unfair” that assumption is being made without testing the prosthesis first.

“I am very willing to compromise and am well aware of the implications,” he told DPA.

“But I just see a great opportunity and not a threat, like many others.”

Rehm could become only the second Paralympic athlete to compete at the Olympics using a blade following sprinter Oscar Pistorius, who recently had his culpable homicide verdict for killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp upgraded to murder, appearing at London 2012.

The South African was knocked out of the semi-final of the 400 metres at the Games.

If the German long-jumper is allowed to compete, he would pose a significantly greater threat to the world’s top able-bodied long jumpers than Pistorius, raising the possibility of a first-ever Paralympic champion winning Olympic gold.

insidethegames has contacted the IAAF for comment.