Pistorius Loses Hard Fought Race

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Published on Friday, 15 June 2012 03:16

Written by Josh Squires

Pistorius Fights Hard For Right To Qualify, Finishes Last

Oscar Pistorius dreamed of competing in the upcoming 2012 Olympics in London, England. A World Record holder in the  100, 200, and 400 meter events in the Paralympics in the T44 class, had his legs amputated below halfway between the knee and ankle when he was only 11 months old due to "congenital absence of the fibula" in both legs. Despite this, Oscar Pistorius grew up competing in sports such as rugby and water polo. He took up running in 2004, winning the Summer Paralympics that same year. He moved on to competing in able-bodied races in 2007.

Despite Unusual Setback, Pistorius Left With One Chance 

Throughout 2007 Oscar Pistorius fought rulings by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) that alleged he had an unfair advantage because of his artificial limbs known as "blades". In May of 2008, a Court of Arbitrations for Sport overturned the ruling, and he was allowed to participate in qualifiers for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. Unfortunately, he missed the Olympic qualifying time of 45.55 by seven tenths of one second. His dream would be put on hold for four more years.He went on to compete in the Summer Paralympics in 2008, winning Gold in the 100, 200, and 400 meter races.

In need of an "A" status to compete in London in 2012, Pistorius needed to make two qualifying times out of a total of three races. After falling short in the Prefontaine Classic, he also suffered a loss at last weekend's Addidas Grand Prix in New York where he placed last. Now, he'll have one race left to prove he deserves to be on the South African National Olympic Team. 

The World Is Watching

One of many compelling stories in the upcoming 2012 Summer Olympic games in London, Oscar Pistorius has overcome numerous obstacles to get this far.  He plans on running in the African Championships, which will be his last chance to post an Olympic qualifying time to earn his required "A" rating. The African Championships will take place between June 27th and July 1st, 2012 in Porto Novo, Benin, Africa. If he manages a qualifying time, he can still earn an individual spot on South Africa's Olympic Track Team.