Wonderful news from CNN…
South African Oscar Pistorius, a double amputee, just won the right to be eligable to compete at this summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing after sport’s highest court backed his appeal against a ban imposed by athletics authorities.
Judging by the photo above, you’d see nothing but determination… running through his life. He’s been a double amputee since he was a baby. Nothing makes him give up, he runs on shock-absorbing carbon-fiber prosthetics that resemble bent skis — earning him the nickname “Blade Runner.”
He’s been running with those blades for a long time, this man is currently a Paralympic Games champion and world record holder even. Athletics authorities previously banned him by deciding that his blades were considered as “technical assistance”, which was against the rule book.
Still from CNN:
Appeals of court decisions are allowed, but on very limited grounds. But the CAS said it did not exclude the possibility that future scientific tests could be developed which might enable the IAAF to prove that the blades provided Pistorius with an advantage over able-bodied athletes.
The South African won gold in the 200 meters, and bronze in the 100 meters at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. He holds the Paralympic world records in the 100, 200, and 400 meters.