Pistorius has Olympics on his mind at big stage debut

By John Bagratuni Aug 26, 2011, 10:45 GMT

Daegu, South Korea - South African double amputee runner Oscar Pistorius is already dreaming of the 2012 London Olympics ahead of his big-stage debut on the weekend and was told by the chief Olympian he is welcome to participate if he qualifies.

Speaking at a packed news conference on the eve of the world championships, Pistorius readily admitted that the London Games are somewhat of an 'obsession' for him for the last two years.

'It is my dream and I think about it every day,' he said.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge said earlier in the day that the decision to let Pistorius compete is not with the IOC, but with the ruling athletics body IAAF and his country's Olympic Committee.

'We need a certificate of eligibility from the IAAF. He has to qualify by the standard of the IAAF and his Olympic Committee,' Rogge said after a joint meeting of the IAAF council and the IOC executive board in Daegu.

The 'Blade Runner' Pistorius recently ran a personal best 45.07 seconds in the 400m to qualify for his first global able-bodied event in Daegu after failing to qualify for the 2008 Olympics (winning three Paralympics titles instead) and 2009 worlds.

He needs to confirm this time next year ahead of London to be eligible for selection.

'The last six weeks (since qualification) have been quite a whirlwind,' he said. 'I am overwhelmed and overjoyed ... I feel very privileged to be selected. I always dreamt of being in a meet like this.'

Pistorius, 24, named competing in Daegu from Sunday onwards 'daunting,' given his absence of experience at such an event. While having no realistic chance of making the final, Pistorius said he will be satisfied 'if I run phenomenally in the heats and go out.'

Clad in jeans and a green T-shirt, no outsider on Friday would have taken Pistorius for a man who had both lower legs amputated due to a congenital condition before he was one year old.

Pistorius runs with carbon fibre prosthetic blades which were at first deemed by the ruling body IAAF to give him an advantage over able-bodied athletes.

But the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2008 cleared him to run while also saying that IAAF has the right to further review his blades. Pistorius qualified for Daegu after missing the cut for the 2008 Olympics and 2009 worlds.

'We decided to let him take part. We will see what the result will be,' said IAAF president Lamine Diack. 'It will be up to us to decide whether he can compete in London 2012, and whether he can do the Paralympics and Olympics.'

Pistorius, who has been competing with able-bodied athletes in various sports before taking up the 400m in 2005, is well aware of the controversy which heated up again once he made the Daegu team.

'I really believe in the purity of sport. I really believe that I have no advantage. I will take it as it comes,' he said. 'It will always be controversial ... I have have become calmer when it comes to this topic.'

Diack said the IAAF spoke out only one condition for Daegu, that Pistorius must run the opening leg if he also participates in the 4x400m relay. The opening leg is the only one run in lanes and the IAAF considers his blades too dangerous for opponents once the runners all switch to the inside lane after 500m.

The IAAF president did not want to dwell on the moral aspects of Pistorius' appearance at the worlds, saying simply: 'He fulfils the conditions, that's it.'

A thorough review is expected after Daegu and German IAAF council member Helmut Digel said that 'the last word is not spoken.'

'The question is how our athletics is conducted and how that of the disabled is conducted,' Digel told the German Press Agency dpa. 'If we say you need two feet and shoes (to compete) it is not about discrimination.'

However, Pistorius also got some prominent backing from former world record holder Michael Johnson.

'I am supportive of oscar. The rules state that he is allowed to compete,' Johnson said.

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