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Pistorius fails to make Olympic time
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ASIANAGE on 17 July, 2008 11:47:21
 
Lucerne, Switzerland: South Africa’s double amputee athlete Oscar Pistorius
saw his hopes of running at the next month’s Olympic Games suffer a final blow
here on Wednesday as he failed to record the minimum qualifying time for the 400
metres.
The 21-year-old, who still hopes to make it to the relay team, timed a personal
best of 46.25 seconds but it was still well outside the standard qualifying time
of 45.55sec.
Pistorius, who had both legs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months
old, could even see his hopes of running in the 4x400m relay dashed as the
sport’s ruling body the International Association of Athletics Federations
said they think he would endanger the other competitors.
"The decision by the Court of Arbitration in Sport which allowed Pistorius to
compete with able-bodied runners applies to all athletics events. But if he runs
in the pack (as in the relay apart from the first leg), there’s a risk that he
or another athlete will fall," said IAAF general secretary Pierre Weiss on
Monday.
Pistorius, who holds the world records for the 100m, 200m and 400m Paralympic
events, is nicknamed the "Blade Runner" because of his J-shaped carbon fibre
prosthetic lower legs.
A legal battle ended in May when the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned
a ban on him competing with able-bodied athletes cost Pistorius precious
training time.
Pistorius has already said that his ambition is to take part at the 2012
Olympics in London when he will only be 25.
— AFP