By Mitch Phillips
LONDON, July 17 (Reuters) – After striving to qualify for
the 400 metres at the London Olympics for six years, Oscar
Pistorius believes he will now be better placed to run at the
Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016.
The South African, who wears carbon fibre blades, will
become the first double amputee to compete in the Olympics. He
reached the 400 metres individual competition despite failing to
register the A standard qualifying because he was selected for
the country’s 4×400 relay team.
“I was very lucky that they did take a couple of athletes
who had just missed the A qualification within the past couple
of weeks. I was very blessed and I believe I will do the best
and represent my country well in London,” Pistorius told
Laureus.com in a break from training in Italy.
“Not making the qualification criteria was pretty tough. I
was hoping and sure that I would be on the relay team but the
400 metres individual was something that I had always wanted to
be on.
“I ran the qualification very comfortably last year and then
opening up this season, in my first race, I ran a very strong
qualification time but when I came to Europe I was just
struggling a bit. I had a niggle with my hip and it was amazing
how that set me back in the first couple of races.”
“Finally when the team was selected, knowing that I have
made the individual and relay was just a dream come true and a
massive blessing. It has been six years of a lot of hard work
and sacrifice from our end, not only from me, but from my team
and now I have to be thinking about performing at a higher
level.”
At the world championships in Daegu last year, Pistorius
reached the semi-finals in the 400 and ran the opening leg in
the 4×400 relay heats. He helped South Africa to reach the final
where, having dropped “Bladerunner”, they took the silver medal.
“My targets for the Olympic Games would be to make the
semi-final (in the individual),” he said.
Continued…
