By Ken Borland
JOHANNESBURG, July 11 (Reuters) – South Africa’s double
amputee Oscar Pistorius will not be forced to lead off in the
Olympic 4×400 metres relay, the International Amateur Athletics
Federation (IAAF) told Reuters on Wednesday.
Pistorius, who wears carbon fibre blades and was cleared to
compete against able-bodied athletes by the Court of Arbitration
for Sport in 2008, was named in South Africa’s relay team last
week.
South African media reported that the IAAF would not allow
Pistorius to run in anything but the first leg due to concerns
over the safety of other athletes because of his prosthetics and
the rough and tumble nature of relay changeovers.
An IAAF spokesman said the position had not changed since
the world championships in Daegu last August.
“At the Daegu 2011 IAAF world championships the decision for
Oscar Pistorius to run the opening leg of the 4X400 relay was
taken by ASA (Athletics South Africa) and not by the IAAF,” he
said via email.
“Now it will be the same for the Olympic Games. The decision
will be taken by Athletics South Africa. It was always like
this.”
This, however, seemed to contradict what IAAF head Lamine
Diack said last year.
“This person is a particular case,” Diack said at the Daegu
championships.
Continued…
