News APP

NewsApp (Free)

Read news as it happens
Download NewsApp

Available on  gplay

This article was first published 13 years ago
Home  » Sports » 'Blade Runner' Pistorius must run relay first leg: IAAF

'Blade Runner' Pistorius must run relay first leg: IAAF

August 26, 2011 14:35 IST
Get Rediff News in your Inbox:

Double amputee Oscar Pistorius must run the first leg for South Africa if he is to take part in the 4x400m relay at the world championships, athletics governing body said on Friday.

"This person is a particular case," IAAF head Lamine Diack said of the athlete who runs with carbon fibre prosthetic blades in place of his lower legs, which were amputated before he was a year old due to a congenital condition.

Oscar Pistorius"The only thing we said to the South African federation is that if he wants to run in the relay, he must run the first leg to avoid danger to other athletes."

The 24-year-old will make history in Daegu when he becomes the first amputee athlete to compete at the world championships.

Pistorius first competed against able-bodied athletes in 2007 but the IAAF then amended its rules to ban the use of "any technical device that incorporates springs, wheels or any other element that provides a user with an advantage over another athlete not using such a device".

In the following year the world governing body said scientific research had shown Pistorius enjoyed an advantage over able-bodied athletes and banned him from competitions held under their rules.

However, the decision was over-ruled by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, making Pistorius eligible for the 2008 Beijing Olympics although he was unable to qualify for the South African team, winning gold medals instead in the Paralympic 100, 200 and 400 metres.

Get Rediff News in your Inbox:
Source: REUTERS
© Copyright 2024 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.

Paris Olympics 2024

India's Tour Of Australia 2024-25