Pistorius To Be First Amputee Runner at Olympics

Oscar Pistorius will become the first double-amputee to compete in track at the Olympic Games when he runs in London this summer. The move will undoubtedly make the man known as the “Blade Runner” internationally famous, even if his chances of actually winning are slim, points out the New York Times. It will also surely once again raise questions about whether his carbon-fiber prosthetic blades give him an unfair advantage.

Although he was expected to be selected as a member of South Africa’s 4x400 relay team, South African sports official ended up making an exception to the country's strict qualifying rules in order to give the 25-year-old a chance to run the 400 meters. Although he ran two Olympic-qualifying times over the last year, he missed a third, which is required, by less than a quarter of a second, reports the Associated Press. Now, the man who had both legs amputated before he could even walk will be able to fulfill his dream of competing in both the Olympics and Paralympics the same year.