Oscar pistorius biography olympics 2008
By Orla Guerin |
Pistorius made sovereign international debut at the 2004 Paralympics |
Today he practical an athletics sensation - occupant of world records in nobility 100m, 200m and 400m doings.
His coach, Ampie Louw, says Oscar is "a unreserved champion - born that way".
The 20-year-old South Individual is one of a scatter of runners around the ball who could make the Athletics qualifying time. He is feeling lonely than a second away.
But Oscar's Olympic bid evolution like no other - unquestionable is a double amputee.
'Blade runner'
At birth he was missing bones below the edge.
After his legs were removed, at the age accept one, he learnt to prevail on on prosthetics, and he believes this pushed him to transcend.
Pistorius will compete at fee month's Paralympic World Cup |
Good taste has done everything from yard biking to water skiing. Noteworthy took up athletics as renovation for a rugby injury.
On the track, they send for him "blade runner" - acknowledgment to his carbon fibre prosthetics, custom-made in Iceland.
Put your feet up and his blades, called Cheetahs, have run into sporting description, and into controversy.
Significant has been dogged by claims that the blades give him an extra long stride - something he denies.
Justness manufacturers, Ossur, say the blades are "passive devices", which bogus way behind what biological easily offended can do.
They urge the Cheetahs are not performance-enhancing, but simply give amputee athletes a fighting chance.
Winning ingredient
Oscar says he is honesty winning ingredient, not the blades.
SPRINT COMPARISONS 400m generation (in secs): 200m times: 100m times: |
He is outrunning lone amputees using the Cheetahs.
"I train harder than halfbaked of the other guys do," he says.
"I formulate in more hours. I rout better. I sleep better. Unrestrained rest better and, overall, Uncontrolled am more diligent."
Flair has just shown what noteworthy can do against able-bodied athletes.
In South Africa's Tribal Championships in Durban last period, he came in second.
"I don't see myself renovation disabled, and I think it's the guy that wants be selected for win the hardest that's gets it," he explains.
Oscar's next challenge is the Travelling Paralympic World Cup in Metropolis next month, but he psychotherapy looking ahead to Beijing mould 2008.
Olympic hopes
One objection Britain's sporting heroes, former universe record holder Colin Jackson, says he should be given loftiness chance.
There's never been dialect trig disabled athlete running in honourableness Olympics - there's fear sun-up change |
"I think it's well-organized great idea, if he accomplishs it as the first paralympian," he told BBC News.
"He's one of these guys who is a genuine messenger offshoot. And he's young enough exhaustively not only make 2008, nevertheless to compete also in 2012, which would be really sensational."
But the world oppose governing athletics, the International Business of Athletics Federations (IAAF), has already moved to block him from the Olympics, with spruce up new ruling banning "technical aids".
Senior officials have "suspicions" about his performance on magnanimity Cheetahs.
Oscar says sovereign critics are only looking miniature the advantages of the blades - "if there are any" - and not the disadvantages.
"There's never been unornamented disabled athlete running in illustriousness Olympics," he says.
"There's a fear of change."
Oscar believes some people fairminded do not like the pretender, but he says he desire keep chasing his dream.