Pistorius shocked to be dropped

Double amputee Oscar Pistorius expressed surprise yesterday that he had been left out of the South African 4x400 metres relay team who won silver at the world championships in Daegu last week after he had run in the first round.

Pistorius, the first amputee to compete at the biennial world championships, ran the first leg when the South African quartet set a national record in the semi-finals. He was replaced by 400 metres hurdles bronze medallist LJ van Zyl in the final.

“After the final I looked at it in two respects,” Pistorius said. “I was surprised I didn’t get to run, I really felt I deserved to according to the times I ran in the semi-final. But I’m really happy for my team, they’re phenomenal guys.”

Pistorius, who finished last in his 400 metres semi-final in Daegu, was cleared to run at the championships after the Court of Arbitration for Sport over-ruled an International Association of Athletics Federations ban.

The 24-year-old South African plans to compete in next year’s London Olympics as well as running in the 100, 200, 400 and 4x100 relay in the Paralympics. Pistorius has polarised opinion with some critics saying his prosthetic blades give him an unfair advantage.