(Adds no Americans in final, quotes)
By Mitch Phillips
LONDON Aug 5 (Reuters) – Oscar Pistorius failed in his bid
to reach the Olympic 400 metres final on Sunday when the South
African double-amputee finished last in his semi while it was a
terrible night for the United States in an event they normally
dominate.
Pistorius, who races wearing carbon fibre prosthetic blades
after being born without a fibula in both legs, is the first
double-amputee to run in the Games and was given a rapturous
welcome when he went out on to the track.
The pace was too hot for him, though and, just as at last
year’s world championships, he finished last in his race in
46.54 seconds, way down on the 45.44 season’s best he posted in
the first round.
Immediately after finishing, heat winner and world champion
Kirani James, the 19-year-old Grenadian, swapped his pinned-on
name label with Pistorius, who will also run in the 4x400m
relay, as the two men embraced.
“He’s an inspiration for all of us, it’s an honour competing
against that guy” James told reporters. What he does takes a lot
of courage. He’s a great individual and it’s time we see him
like that and not anything else.”
Pistorius said of James’s gesture: “It was very kind of him.
We share a similar life and it’s what the Olympics is all
about.”
Luguelin Santos, the 18-year-old junior world champion from
the Dominican Republic, made the final while the fastest
qualifier was Trinidad Tobago’s Lalonde Gordon.
Continued…
