Markus Rehm
Rehm at the 2016 Paralympics
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Blade Jumper |
| Born |
22 August 1988 Göppingen, Germany |
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Disability class | F44/T44 |
| Event(s) | Long jump, sprint |
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Medal record
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| Updated on 18 September 2016. | |
Markus "Blade Jumper" Rehm (born 22 August 1988) is a German amputee and Paralympian. 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 is amputated and he uses a carbon-fibre bladed prosthesis, from which he jumps off.
He holds the long jump world record in his category (8.40 m) set at the 2015 IPC World Championships.
In 2005, at age 17, after a wakeboarding accident, Rehm had his right leg amputated below the knee.
Rehm won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in the long jump F42/44 classification. He made (7.35 m/1,093 points) and set a new world record. On winning he stated "I think it was the perfect jump today."
Rehm won the 2014 German Athletics Championships in long jump, with a jump of 8.24 m (27.0 ft). However many able-bodied longjumpers protested that he had an unfair advantage due to his blade. His national title was upheld.
Rehm was banned from the 2014 European Athletics Championships, as it was ruled that his blade gave him an unfair advantage over able-bodied athletes. His blade made his amputee right leg 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in) longer than his natural leg. Rehm jumps off with his right leg.
Rehm again placed first in the long jump at the 2015 German Athletics Championships. However, his results still do not count towards winning the championship, as the German Federation has ruled that the prosthetics cannot be ruled out as providing an unfair advantage. He finished on top with a jump of 8.11 m (26.6 ft).
At the 2015 Doha World Championship, Rhem set a world IPC disability record in the long jump, at 8.40 m (27.6 ft). That distance of 8.40m was enough to win the gold medal at the prior 3 Summer Olympics (2012 London, 2008 Beijing, 2004 Athens).
Rehm attempted to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics, to become the second bladed athlete to compete at the Olympics, following Oscar Pistorius at the 2012 Summer Olympics. A rules change at the IAAF meant that he needed to qualify his prosthesis with the IAAF to prove that it did not provide an advantage over able-bodied athletes. A study by the University of Cologne determined that the prosthetic was a disadvantage in the run-up portion of the long jump but advantageous during the jump, however there was no overall advantage. However, the IAAF ruled that Germany failed to prove its case, and denied Rehm permission to participate at the Rio Olympics.
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