IAAF says amputee runner Pistorius too dangerous
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-07-16 11:18

PARIS - South Africa's Oscar Pistorius, the double amputee who is hoping to run alongside able-bodied competitors at the Beijing Olympics, was branded a potential danger to other athletes on Monday.


South African Oscar Pistorius warms-up during a training session for the international European Athletics Association (EAA) athletics meeting in Lucerne July 15, 2008. Double amputee Pistorius, who runs with carbon-fibre blades attached to his legs, will try for the third time to reach the Beijing Olympics 400 metres qualification time of 45.95 seconds at the international EAA athletics meeting in Lucerne on Wednesday. [Agencies]

Pierre Weiss, the general secretary of the sport's governing body, the IAAF, believes that if Pistorius, who runs on carbon-fiber blades, takes part in the 4x400m relay, he could be a risk to other runners once they are bunched on the track.

"The decision by CAS (the Court of Arbitration in Sport which allowed Pistorius to compete with able-bodied runners) applies to all athletics events. But if he runs in the pack, there's a risk that he or another athlete will fall."

Pistorius, 21, has been trying to reach the qualifying standard of 45.55 seconds to book a place in the indvidual 400m at the Beijing Olympics. He set his best time of the season of 46.62 seconds in Rome on Friday.

He will try again in Lucerne in Switzerland on Wednesday and hasn't given up hope of making the relay team in China.

"The South Africans have qualified without Pistorius and if they take him they are going to have to remove another relay runner," said Weiss.

"It's a decision that rests with the officials of the federation and the South African Olympic Committee, but we'd prefer that they don't select him for reasons of safety."