Blade runner well done

South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius could become the first amputee athlete to compete in the Olympic Games after recording a time of 45.07 seconds for the 400 meters.

The 24-year-old's lap, ran during a meeting in the Italian town of Lignano on Tuesday, is within the Olympic 'A' standard required for a country to enter three athletes in a single event at next year's Games in London.

Pistorius, who was born without fibulae bones in his legs, can also now compete at August's world athletics championships in Daegu, South Korea.

The athlete known as "Blade Runner", due to the prosthetic limbs he uses to run, had already beaten the Olympic 'B' standard time -- a benchmark which must be beaten for nation's to submit one competitor into an event -- during South Africa's Provincial Championships in March.

Pistorius beat his previous personal best of 45.61 secs and was 0.18 secs inside the 'A' standard threshold.

"It feels kind of surreal," Pistorius said on the blogging site Twitter.

"To have an A-qualification time in the bag for next yrs Olympic Games! Thank you all the your support!"

The time ran by the Johannesburg native would have been enough to secure him a fifth place finish in the 400m final at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

The London Olympic Games will begin with the opening ceremony on July 27, 2012.

Oscar is a star.....looking forward to the London Olympic Games

Oscar is a great guy, two years ago, he was our [Thandolwami] Celebrity in the Charity Mile, very down to earth and a real nice bloke

Agree magic lad all the best a real hero

id say he is an inspiration to all..... go blade go!

Doesnt the London Logo look like a Simpson character performing a sex act?

Only to you ya pervX(

I wish oscar well and he seems like a great bloke but should someone getting assistance from something artificial be allowed to run against able bodied athletes?

imagine if a scotsman designed that london logo.....<

i thought it said ZOK.

what a terrible logo.

was the okey blind ?

If u have time make a copy cut out pieces and you will find when u join them it makes a perfect square..............()












ps if you did try this, you could be insane...........................<