South African amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius has been given the all-clear to compete with able-bodied athletes in the Rome leg of the IAAF Golden League Series on Friday, with a view to earning his ticket to next month’s World Athletics Championships in Osaka.
The 21-year-old from Pretoria has set competitive times in the 100m, 200m and 400m although he had both legs amputated below the knee when less than a year old because of a congenital condition.
A former rugby and water-polo player, Pistorius uses high-tech, J-shaped carbon-fibre blades, which are fixed to his legs just under the knees.
To qualify for the South African team for the worlds in Japan from August 25 to September 2, Pistorius has to time 45,95 seconds in the 400m.
If he fails in Rome he will try again on Sunday at Sheffield, England.
In Rome, Pistorius will compete in the B event, in which he holds a time of 46,34 seconds. However, even if he achieves a time that is close to the best he will not be allowed compete in the A event.
In 2005, Pistorius was sixth in the 400m at the South African championships and he is set on becoming the first amputee runner to compete in the Olympics next year in China possibly in his country’s relay team.
However, the IAAF stands in his way, ruling that the special blades are an unfair advantage and its executive council has put forward a proposal which would mean they could not be used.
Under the proposal, athletes would be banned from using ”any technical device that incorporates springs, wheels or any other element that provides the user with an advantage over another athlete not using such a device”. — Sapa-AFP