London 2012 Athlete Spotlight: Oscar Pistorius

Oscar Pistorius is a South African runner known as the blade runner. He was  born with congenital absence of fibula in both legs and his legs were amputated halfway between his ankles and knees when he was 11 years old.

In 2007, he competed in his first able-bodied competitions in January 2008. He was ruled ineligible for competitions by the IAAF because it was believed that the prosthetic limbs gave him a considerable advantage. The decision was overturned in May 2008 by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland as there was no evidence that Pistorius had any advantage over other able-bodied runners. Pistorius has said that his focus throughout the appeal was to ensure that athletes with disabilities are given a chance to compete fairly with able bodied athletes.

Photo: REUTERS

He did not qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics but participated in the 2008 Summer Paralympics, setting a Paralympic record with 11.16 seconds in the heats of the 100m. On 8 August 2011, it was announced that he was included in the South African team (400m and 4 X 400 relay squad) for the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, where he ran his second fastest time ever. 

On 4 July 2012, it was announced that he had been included in the Olympic team, making him the first double amputee runner at the Olympic Games. pistorius will compete in the 400m and 4 X 400m relay races. We wish him the best of luck!