‘Blade Runner’ wins place in semis – and in athletics history

OSCAR Pistorius, the double amputee whose remarkable achievements are rewriting the athletics rulebook, has insisted he is not a “pioneer”, despite qualifying for the semi-finals of the 400 metres on his historic appearance at the world championships.

The South African, known as Blade Runner, finished third in his heat, with a time of 45.39 seconds.

The 24-year-old, who had his legs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old, said it had been his dream to compete at such a high level but admitted that he may not reach the final.

His qualification has intensified the debate over whether his carbon fibre running blades give him an unfair advantage.

Some athletics officials have expressed doubt over whether Pistorius should be allowed to run alongside able-bodied competitors, but the four-time Paralympic champion believes he has every right to take part.

After yesterday’s race, he said: “I feel like any other athlete here. Everyone makes sacrifices to be here. I don’t feel like a pioneer.

“It was a great opportunity to have the chance to come and run – it’s a dream I have had for many, many years. I’ve run my second fastest time, so I could not have asked for anything better.”

With a personal best of 45.07 seconds, Pistorius conceded he may have reached his limit by qualifying for today’s semi-finals.

He said: “If I look at the times, I’m a realist. I know what I’m capable of. When I raced that 45.07, everything went right.

“It’s going to take a lot of work to get close to that, and I don’t think that will be enough to reach the final.”

MARTYN McLAUGHLIN