It's been a grungy little run-up toward the Beijing Olympics, which will be given liftoff two months from today amid much pomp and marketing.

Just the other day, for instance, in response to teammate Antonio Pettigrew's admission of steroid use during his testimony at the trial of disgraced trainer Trevor Graham, American superstar Michael Johnson announced he was returning his gold medal from the 2000 Games' 1,600-meter relay "victory."

Three months ago, one-time sprint queen Marion Jones began a six-month prison term after admitting she lied to federal investigators about her drug use. One month ago, one-time sprint king and unmasked doper Tim Montgomery was sentenced to 46 months in the slammer for his role in a check-fraud scheme.

One week ago, Jamaica's Usain Bolt lowered the 100-meter record to 9.72 seconds and immediately was greeted by skepticism, seeing as how he's rung up two of the three fastest 100s ever despite running the event only five times.

"We know questions are inevitable given the revelations in the sport," Bolt's coach, Glen Mills, conceded to reporters.

So it should come as no surprise that track's touchy-feely story of the year has barbed-wire vibes. We're talking here about Oscar Pistorius, the South African sprinter/amputee who three weeks ago was given clearance to compete at the Olympics via a Court of Arbitration decision that overturned a ruling by the IAAF -- track's international governing body -- that Pistorius be barred from the Games.

At issue is Pistorius' use of carbon prosthetic blades, called Cheetahs, that have allowed him to become a paralympics ace and viable entrant in able-bodied meets (though no real threat to actually qualify for Beijing). Some endorse his inclusion in all-comers events. Others would DQ him before he gets to the starting line. Scientific studies on the benefits of blades vs., say, ankle joints, are inconclusive.

So maybe we should just cut to the chase here and focus on common decency and fairness.

"He's faced a lot of adversity in his life," is the way Midlothian High coach Stan Morgan put it. "If it's not an advantage in any way, shape or form, I would say give him the right to compete."

To which I'd add a hearty spot on. Pistorius, see, was born without fibulas -- the bone between the knee and ankle -- and had both legs amputated as an infant. It was not elective surgery, in other words. He grew up with handicaps and obstacles -- and limitations that have been overcome some, both on the track and off, by technological advances.

And by his own resolve and will.

He isn't some cyborg who's been doctored to circumvent standards and regs. Fact is, he's a hero. And never mind he ran a 47.92 in the 400 at a paralympic meet in Holland a week ago and that his personal-best 46.34 is well off the Olympic qualifying standard of 45.55. If anyone is a living advertisement for Olympic ideals, it's Pistorius.

"You're looking at a handicapped guy who's found a way to compete against mortal people," Maggie Walker Governor's School coach Jim Holdren said. "All power to him. It's a little bit hard in some respects to think of a guy who's lost both legs from the knee down as having an advantage over someone else. I'm sure I'd cheer him on. Most people would."

Most people also are sick of being BALCO'd and Marion Jones'd and Trevor Graham'd to death. Oscar Pistorius, by contrast, shines. Maybe there's a line to be drawn one day. But it's not with him.