• London Olympics 2012

Pistorius poised for 2012 after second qualifying run

ESPN staff
March 17, 2012
Oscar Pistorius is now hopeful of being selected for London 2012 © Getty Images
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Double-amputee Oscar Pistorius is on the verge of being selected to race at London 2012 after running faster than the IAAF's 400 metres 'A' qualifying mark for a second time on Saturday.

Pistorius, running as usual on his custom-made carbon fibre blades, completed the race in 45.20 seconds at a meeting in his home country of South Africa - one tenth of a second faster than the IAAF 'A' mark of 45.30s.

He had already recorded a qualifying time of 45.07s last year - a run that enabled him to compete at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu - but his latest performance removes another potential obstacle to his participation this summer, after the South African Olympic committee announced that it preferred all domestic athletes to meet the official qualifying criteria in the three months leading up to the Games in Britain.

Pistorius said he was "absolutely thrilled" and called it a "magical moment." If he is selected, he will become the first amputee to run at an Olympic Games.

Pistorius will now simply have to wait and see whether he is selected to represent his country at the Games. In Daegu, he went out of the 400m in the semi-finals - but subsequently became the first double-amputee to claim a medal for his part in South Africa's second-placed 4x400m relay team.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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