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German federation excludes amputee jumper, claims he has advantage

A German amputee jumper has been excluded from the country's team for the upcoming European Championships because the German federation says his carbon-fiber prosthesis gives him an unfair advantage against competition.
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A German amputee jumper has been excluded from the country's team for the upcoming European Championships because the German federation says his carbon-fiber prosthesis gives him an unfair advantage against competition, according to the Associated Press

The long jumper, Markus Rehm, is a Paralympic champion who wears a prosthesis after his right leg was amputated above the knee. Last weekend, he won the long jump at the German nationals.

From the AP:

Federation president Clemens Prokop says there is "significant doubt" that jumps with a prosthesis and with a natural joint are comparable. Prokop says biometric measurements showed that Rehm's prosthesis might give him an unfair "catapult effect" that allows him longer jumps.

Rehm is considering fighting the federation's decision.

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- Molly Geary