Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius vows to make World Championships

Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius leaves England for the continent today insisting he "will not rest" until he has booked his place in the 400 metres at this summer's World Championships.

The South African cruised to a new T42/44 400m world record of 47.28 seconds as he claimed two golds at Friday's BT Paralympic World Cup in Manchester. He now heads, via Ostrava in the Czech Republic, to the USA for two Diamond League meetings - in Eugene on 4 June, where he will take on former Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner, and in New York on 11 June - as he looks to improve on his own personal best of 45.61secs, set in able-bodied competition in March.

The 24-year-old will also bid to close in on the 'A' qualifying standard of 45.25secs for August's World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, and next year's Olympics.

"I want to make it to Daegu on my own merit," Pistorius said. "I want to be first choice and that's the mentality that I had from the beginning. I won't rest until that happens."

The triple Paralympic champion, who runs with carbon-fibre prosthetic running blades after being born without a fibula in both legs, is bidding to become the first amputee sprinter to compete at a World Championships or an Olympics. Pistorius already has the 'B' standard, which would suffice were he the fastest South African. He is currently third fastest, although the quickest Louis van Zyl is a 400m hurdler and so not in contention for a 400m place. And he feels his current form shows that, when forced to run flat out, a new personal best is likely.

"If I can start off like this I'm extremely excited about what's to come," he added.