Double amputee athlete and Laureus Ambassador Oscar Pistorius has put on a remarkable silver medal winning performance at last week’s World Athletics Championships in Daegu.
Oscar raced in two separate events at this year’s championships: the 400 metres and 4 x 400m relay. In the former he achieved a semi final place and, in the latter, a South African record that helped the SA relay squad win a silver medal.
Oscar didn’t race in the final of the relay event, but as a member of the relay squad who helped the team qualify for the final, he was eligible for a medal.
Oscar won a silver medal as part of the South African 4x400m relay team
Oscar’s presence and performance at the championships has been widely celebrated and respected in the media this past week.
British newspaper The Times has labelled him “an inspiration, pioneer, trailblazer.” Whilst the paper’s respected sportswriter Rick Broadbent has called Oscar his “Star of the Championships.”
As a Laureus Ambassador the Laureus blog will be keeping a close eye on Oscar’s progress in the run up to next year’s London Games. So be sure to follow us on Twitter @LaureusSport to get all the most up to date news on Oscar as he fights to become the first amputee athlete to race at the Olympic Games.
If you’ve stopped by our news section today you will have seen that Oscar Pistorius, the South African Paralympic 400 metre runner known as ‘The Blade Runner’, has been chosen to compete for South Africa at this year’s World Championships in August.
Joining us in sending congrats to Oscar today is our Academy Vice-Chair, the legendary Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson.
She told us this morning: ” This is an amazing day for Oscar and proves that if you have the talent, ability and passion, you can achieve your goals. Oscar has been chosen by the South African selectors on merit and I wish him the best of luck in the World Championships in Daegu later this month.”
Oscar had to have both legs below the knee amputed as a child having been born without vital bones in each leg
Oscar is one of our Laureus Ambassadors and he has been working tirelessly to compete at the highest levels of his sport for years now. And, so, it’s fantastic to see him being selected for the South African World Championship squad after clocking the qualifying time last month. (See here)
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