Olympic run ends for Pistorius

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Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius won’t be running in the Beijing Games.

The South African Olympic team today opted not to include Pistorius on its 1,600-meter relay team. The relay was the last chance for Pistorius, who, earlier in the week ran a personal best 46.25 in the 400 meter race, but fell short of the 45.55 qualifying time.

Athletics South Africa president Leonard Chuene said that four other South Africans had faster times, and Pistorius was not one of two athletes chosen as alternates for the Beijing Games.
The decision ended a months-long battle for Pistorius, both on the track and in court.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport earlier had overturned an IAAF ban on Pistorius, whose nickname -- ‘Blade Runner’ -- referred to his carbon-fiber prosthetic legs. The IAAF had ruled that Pistorius enjoyed an unfair advantage from his J-shaped carbon fiber blades.

“From the beginning, we knew that he had to qualify,” Pistorius’ manager, Peet Van Zyl, said via Associated Press. “We didn’t expect him to be granted any special opportunity or anything. The rules are the rules.”

Yet controversy lingered even after South Africa named its Olympic track and field squad.

The IAAF on Thursday said that it had been supportive of Pistorius’ bid to run at the Olympics -- despite comments made earlier this week by general secretary who said publicly that Pistorius could pose a danger to other runners because of his blade-like prosthetics.

Those comments “have no effect on the official eligibility of Oscar Pistorius, nor should they be misconstrued as a personal attack on Oscar,” the IAAF said in a statement.

Pistorius does plan to run in the Paralympic Games in Beijing that will be held from Sept. 6-17.

-- Greg Johnson