Double Leg Amputee Oscar Pistorius Will Run 4X400 Relay, 400 in Olympics for South Africa

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Jul 4, 2012

Double Leg Amputee Oscar Pistorius Will Run 4X400 Relay, 400 in Olympics for South AfricaThe man they call "Blade Runner" has been making history his whole track and field career. Now, he's set to top everything he's done before.

Oscar Pistorius, the South African runner who is also a double below-knee amputee and runs on a pair of carbon fiber prostheses, was selected by his country's Olympic committee on Wednesday to run not only in the 4×400-meter relay but also in the 400 meters, according to ESPN.

Pistorius, also known as "the fastest man on no legs," will become the first amputee track athlete to compete at the Olympics.

Despite failing to meet South Africa's required time to qualify for the 400 meters, he was admitted into the event when the Olympic committee made a last-second decision to allow him to compete in it regardless, apparently at the request of the country's track federation. This reversed the committee's earlier statement that Pistorius would only be competing in the relay.

A five-time Paralympic medalist — four of them gold — Pistorius has been the subject of some controversy during his career regarding the advantage his prostheses may or may not give him when competing against able-bodied athletes. He was declared ineligble to compete in any International Associations of Athletics Federation event in January 2008, but the decision was overturned in May of that same year by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Photo via Twitter/@CduSport

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