Pistorius Wins Bid To Take Blades To Olympics
South Africa’s ‘Blade Runner’ Oscar Pistorius has earned himself the status of a hero after being cleared by the Commission of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to compete against able-bodied athletes in the Olympic Games.
CAS on Friday overturned a ruling by the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) that Pistorius' carbon fibre prostheses gave him an unfair advantage over able bodied athletes.
“I'm ecstatic. The battle has been going on for far too long,” Pistorius told Reuters at a conference in Milan. “It is a victory for sports in general. I think this day will go down in history."
The IAAF based its January decision on studies by German professor Gert-Peter Brueggemann, who said the J-shaped "Cheetah" blades were energy efficient.
Pistorius' lawyers countered with independent tests which claimed to show he doesn't gain any advantage over able-bodied runners. CAS said the IAAF failed to prove that Pistorius' running blades gave him an advantage.
"Oscar is living proof that if you want something badly enough, and have enough determination, you will get there," said sponsor liaison manager for the South African Paralympic team Andy Scott.
Coming in the week that Natalie (du Toit) qualified for the Olympic Games in Beijing, it is a huge boost for disabled athletes, he added.
Twenty-one year old Pistorius, who is trying to qualify for the 400 metres, has not yet posted an Olympic qualifying time. His personal best is 46.46, and the qualifying time is 45.95.
Having spent much of the year on the court case, Pistorius has missed out on valuable training time and admits that qualifying for the 2008 Olympics will be very hard.
"At the least the door is open for the future - I can run in able-bodied meets. There will be world champs next year [and] the 2012 Olympics," he told the press.
Pistorius was born without fibulas - the long, thin outer bone between the knee and ankle - and was 11 months old when his legs were amputated below the knee.
Sapa / SAGN
