Oscar Pistorius has been selected to run in both the individual 400 meters and the 4×400-meter relay at the London Olympics and is set to become the first amputee track athlete to compete at any games.
In a surprising last-minute decision Wednesday, South Africa’s Olympic committee and national track federation cleared the double amputee to run in his individual event. The Olympic committee earlier announced that Pistorius had been picked only for the relay.
Olympic committee chief executive Tubby Reddy tells The Associated Press that the track body asked for permission to also allow Pistorius to run the 400, even though he had not met their qualifying criteria.
The 25-year-old Pistorius, who runs on carbon fiber blades, called it “one of the proudest days of my life.” Pistorius will realize his dream of competing at Olympic and Paralympic events in the same year.
“Today is really on of the happiest days of my life! Will be in @London2012 for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games!” the multiple Paralympic champion said on Twitter. “Thank you to everyone that has made me the athlete I am! God, family and friends, my competitors and supporters! You have all had a hand!”
Pistorius was selected alongside Willem de Beer, Ofentse Mogawane and Shaun de Jager for the 4×400 race.
Pistorius missed out in the 400 by less than a quarter of a second at his final qualifying race at the African championships last week.
Pistorius made history last year by qualifying for the world championships at Daegu, South Korea. He won silver with South Africa in the 4×400 as the first amputee competing in the race. However, the decision to leave him out of the final race caused controversy.
He traveled from South Africa to Europe to the United States and then to Benin, in West Africa, in his quest to achieve the qualifying time. He missed out by 0.22 seconds in that final race in Benin last week, despite still winning silver in the African final.
South Africa’s Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee said Pistorius was picked for the London Games because of athletic achievements, not because he is the world’s most famous disabled athlete.
“As I have said many times before, we are not taking passengers to London,” said SASCOC President Gideon Sam said. “Everyone has met selection criteria and are genuine Olympic Games material, either now or for 2016. I wish them all the best.”
Pistorius set the leading time in South Africa this season when he ran an Olympic-qualifying 45.20 seconds in the 400 at the March meet in Pretoria, his hometown.
However, he failed to set a second “A” time at an international competition before Saturday to meet South Africa’s strict selection criteria for the individual 400.
–ESPN
