(Colombo Lankapuvath)The 25 year-old, who runs on artificial legs, will become the first amputee to compete in both the Olympics and the Paralympics when he turns out at London 2012.
“To have been selected to represent Team South Africa is a real honour,”
said Pistorius, “and I am so pleased that years of hard work, determination and sacrifice have all come together. Today is truly one of the proudest days of my life.”
Pistorius, long known as Blade Runner, has had to battle long and hard to convince the International Association of Athletics Federations that his carbon fibre limbs offer no technological advantage against able-bodied athletes.
A 2007 study suggested Pistorius used 25 per cent less energy than runners with natural legs and this was used by the IAAF to ban him from abled-bodied events before the Beijing Olympics.
However, those findings were overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport because Pistorius’ considerable disadvantages in accelerating at the start had not been considered.
Watch Video
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk)
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
