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Rise and fall of 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius
Factfile on South African athlete Oscar Pistorius, who was arrested by police in connection with the shooting death of his girlfriend at his home in Pretoria on Thursday.
- Pistorius shoots girlfriend dead; police yet to confirm
Born on November 22, 1986 in Johannesburg.
Born without fibulas, he had both legs amputated below the knees before turning one-year-old.
After learning to walk on prosthetic legs, Pistorius became a keen sportsman in high school. He turned to sprint training in 2003 to rehab from a serious knee injury playing rugby.
Running on carbon fibre prosthetic blades, earned him the nickname 'Blade Runner', Pistorius became Paralympic gold medallist and world record holder over 200m a year later.
Rise and fall of 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius
* In January 2008, he was banned from running against able-bodied athletes by the IAAF, who deemed his blades to provide an unfair advantage. However, four months later the Court for Arbitration for Sport ruled him eligible to compete in IAAF-sanctioned events. He capped the year by winning three golds at Summer Paralympics in Beijing.
* Qualified for the South African team for the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, where he reached the semi-finals of the 400m. Helped South Africa reach the relay final in Daegu but was dropped for the race. Awarded silver medal after South Africa finished second.Rise and fall of 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius
Selected for South Africa's London Games team and in August 2012 became the first double amputee to compete on the track at an Olympic Games, finishing second in his men's 400m heat, but failed to make the final. He also anchored the relay team to eighth place in the London final.
Carried the flag for South Africa at the opening ceremony of the London Paralympic Games and won two gold medals.
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