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Lead Stories: Saturday, September 6, 2008

JUSTICE PREVAILS:
Double-Amputee Pistorius Wins Appeal Over IAAF; Earns Right to Try for Olympics

Posted May 16th, 2008 at 4:18 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Track & Field, Olympics

Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius won his appeal to be eligible to compete in the Olympics using the carbon-fiber prosthetics that have gained him the nickname “Blade Runner.'’

The Court of Arbitration for Sport today overturned a ban on the 21-year-old South African runner by the International Association of Athletics Federations, which said studies found the prosthetic blades gave him an unfair advantage.

“The panel was not persuaded that there was sufficient evidence of any metabolic advantage,'’ the Lausanne, Switzerland-based court said in a ruling on its Web site.

Pistorius needs to shave 1.01 seconds from his best time to reach the Olympic qualifying standard for the 400-meter sprint to compete in the race at the Beijing Games in August. The Associated Press said he may be picked as an alternate for the South African team even if he doesn’t meet the qualifying mark.
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