Olympics-2008: Pistorius upbeat on eve of last bid for Beijing
Johannesburg (dpa) - On the eve of his last chance to make the cut for the Beijing Olympics, South African double amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius was still hoping Tuesday to shave off nearly a second off his personal best.
Pistorius, a Paralympic world-record holder in the 100 metres, 200m and 400m, has set his sights on competing in the 400m in the able-bodied Olympics but has been under pressure to improve his times after getting the go-ahead to try to qualify for Beijing only two months ago.
On Friday, Pistorius missed the Olympic qualifying time of 45.55 seconds by more than a second, finishing in 46.62 seconds at the Golden League meet in Rome. His time, while a significant improvement on his previous outing, fell below his personal best of 46.36.
Speaking from Lucerne, Switzerland, where the 21-year-old sprinter will compete Wednesday in the meet that decides whether he goes to Beijing, his agent, Peet van Zyl told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa: "He's looking forward to the challenge and hopes to do well."
Even if Pistorius fails to make the 400m qualifying time, he still has a chance, if he improves his time, of making the 4x400m relay team.
Athletics South Africa is expected to name its choices for the relay team to the South African Sports Confederation and Olympics Committee (SASCOC) shortly after the Lucerne meet.
"Of course we're all wishing he could make it," Moss Mashishi, SASCOC president told dpa.
"I expect by Friday or shortly afterwards we will know."
The general secretary of world athletics body IAAF, Pierre Weiss, on Monday, however, expressed concern about Pistorius competing in the relay.
Weiss said that the carbon fibre blades, on which Pistorius runs, could pose a risk to other runners in a pack.
Van Zyl said he had no knowledge of the official's comments and would have to make inquiries.
In May, the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland overruled a ban by the world athletics body IAAF on Pistorius competing against able-bodied athletes in events organized by the body.
The IAAF had claimed Pistorius' prostheses gave him an unfair advantage.South Africa's Oscar Pistorius, the double amputee who is hoping to run alongside able-bodied competitors at the Beijing Olympics, was branded a potential danger to other athletes on Monday.Pierre Weiss, the general secretary of the sport's governing body, the IAAF, believes that if Pistorius, who runs on carbon fibre blades, takes part in the 4x400m relay, he could be a risk to other runners once they are bunched on the track.
"The decision by CAS (the Court of Arbitration in Sport which allowed Pistorius to compete with able-bodied runners) applies to all athletics events. But if he runs in the pack, there's a risk that he or another athlete will fall."
Pistorius, 21, has been trying to reach the qualifying standard of 45.55secs to book a place in the indvidual 400m at the Beijing Olympics. He set his best time of the season of 46.62sec in Rome on Friday.
He will try again in Lucerne in Switzerland on Wednesday and hasn't given up hope of making the relay team in China.
"The South Africans have qualified without Pistorius and if they take him they are going to have to remove another relay runner," said Weiss.
"It's a decision that rests with the officials of the federation and the South African Olympic Committee, but we'd prefer that they don't select him for reasons of safety."
IAAF anger over Pistorius 'danger'
Johannesburg (dpa) - On the eve of his last chance to make the cut for the Beijing Olympics, South African double amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius was still hoping Tuesday to shave off nearly a second off his personal best.
Pistorius, a Paralympic world-record holder in the 100 metres, 200m and 400m, has set his sights on competing in the 400m in the able-bodied Olympics but has been under pressure to improve his times after getting the go-ahead to try to qualify for Beijing only two months ago.
On Friday, Pistorius missed the Olympic qualifying time of 45.55 seconds by more than a second, finishing in 46.62 seconds at the Golden League meet in Rome. His time, while a significant improvement on his previous outing, fell below his personal best of 46.36.
Speaking from Lucerne, Switzerland, where the 21-year-old sprinter will compete Wednesday in the meet that decides whether he goes to Beijing, his agent, Peet van Zyl told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa: "He's looking forward to the challenge and hopes to do well."
Even if Pistorius fails to make the 400m qualifying time, he still has a chance, if he improves his time, of making the 4x400m relay team.
Athletics South Africa is expected to name its choices for the relay team to the South African Sports Confederation and Olympics Committee (SASCOC) shortly after the Lucerne meet.
"Of course we're all wishing he could make it," Moss Mashishi, SASCOC president told dpa.
"I expect by Friday or shortly afterwards we will know."
The general secretary of world athletics body IAAF, Pierre Weiss, on Monday, however, expressed concern about Pistorius competing in the relay.
Weiss said that the carbon fibre blades, on which Pistorius runs, could pose a risk to other runners in a pack.
Van Zyl said he had no knowledge of the official's comments and would have to make inquiries.
In May, the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland overruled a ban by the world athletics body IAAF on Pistorius competing against able-bodied athletes in events organized by the body.
The IAAF had claimed Pistorius' prostheses gave him an unfair advantage.South Africa's Oscar Pistorius, the double amputee who is hoping to run alongside able-bodied competitors at the Beijing Olympics, was branded a potential danger to other athletes on Monday.Pierre Weiss, the general secretary of the sport's governing body, the IAAF, believes that if Pistorius, who runs on carbon fibre blades, takes part in the 4x400m relay, he could be a risk to other runners once they are bunched on the track.
"The decision by CAS (the Court of Arbitration in Sport which allowed Pistorius to compete with able-bodied runners) applies to all athletics events. But if he runs in the pack, there's a risk that he or another athlete will fall."
Pistorius, 21, has been trying to reach the qualifying standard of 45.55secs to book a place in the indvidual 400m at the Beijing Olympics. He set his best time of the season of 46.62sec in Rome on Friday.
He will try again in Lucerne in Switzerland on Wednesday and hasn't given up hope of making the relay team in China.
"The South Africans have qualified without Pistorius and if they take him they are going to have to remove another relay runner," said Weiss.
"It's a decision that rests with the officials of the federation and the South African Olympic Committee, but we'd prefer that they don't select him for reasons of safety."
IAAF anger over Pistorius 'danger'
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