Oscar Pistorius - "The Blade Runner"21/02/2013
Pistorius is considered by many to be a shining example of how individuals can triumph over adversity. Pistorius was an inspiration to millions until now when he face the charges that he deliberately gunned down his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day. In 2009 too, Pistorius was arrested and charged with common assault by South African police for slamming a door on a woman at his home. The charges were later dropped.
Oscar Pistorius was born to Henke and Sheila Pistorius on 22 November,1986 in Johannesburg. Pistorius was born with fibular hemimelia in both legs. When he was 11 months old, his legs were amputated halfway between his knees and ankles. He played rugby union in the school team, water polo and tennis. Pistorius took part in club Olympic wrestling. After a serious rugby knee injury in 2003, he was introduced to running. Pistorius began studying for a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) in business management with sports science at the University of Pretoria in 2006. Sometimes referred to as the "Blade Runner" and "the fastest man on no legs", Pistorius took part in the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens and came third overall in the T44 (one leg amputated below the knee) 100-metre event. Despite falling in the preliminary round for the 200 metres, he qualified for the final and won in a world record time of 21.97 seconds. In 2005, Pistorius finished sixth in the able-bodied South African Championships over 400 metres with a world-record time of 47.34 seconds, and at the Paralympic World Cup in the same year he won gold in the 100 metres and 200 metres, beating his previous 200-metre world record. At the 2006 Paralympic Athletics World Championships, Pistorius won gold in the 100, 200 and 400-metre events. On 17 March 2007, he set a disability sports world record for the 400 metres (46.56 seconds) at the South African Senior Athletics Championships in Durban, and at the Nedbank Championships for the Physically Disabled held in Johannesburg in April 2007, he became the world record holder of the 100 and 200-metre events. Pistorius had ambitions of competing in other able-bodied events. In particular, he had set his sights on competing at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, but was ultimately not selected by the South African Olympic Committee. Pistorius has been the subject of criticism because of claims that his artificial limbs give him an advantage over runners with natural ankles and feet. He runs with J-shaped carbon-fibre prosthetics called the "Flex-Foot Cheetah". IAAF ruled Pistorius's prostheses ineligible for use in competitions including the 2008 Summer Olympics. Pistorius subsequently appealed against the adverse decision. The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld Pistorius's appeal and the IAAF council decision was revoked with immediate effect. Pistorius participated in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. In the heats of the 100 metres, he set a Paralympic record (11.16 seconds). The defending Paralympic champion in the 200 metres won his second gold in the event in a time of 21.67 seconds, setting another Paralympic record. He completed a hat-trick by winning gold in the 400 metres in a world-record time of 47.49. At the 2012 Summer Olympics on 4 August 2012, Pistorius became the first amputee runner to compete at an Olympic Games. Pistorius was chosen to carry the South African flag for the closing ceremony. Pistorius also carried the flag at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Paralympics. Pistorius has two visible tattoos. First one are the dates of his mother's birth and death. The other tattoo, which is on his back, is a Bible verse. He is a supporter of Italian Serie A football club Lazio. His other interests include architecture, motorbiking, breeding race horses. Pistorius's autobiography, Dream Runner, was published in Italian in 2008. An English version entitled Blade Runner was released in 2009. In February 2009, Pistorius was seriously injured when he was thrown from a boat in an accident on the Vaal River near Johannesburg. He was airlifted to Milpark Hospital where he underwent surgery to repair broken facial bones including his nose and jaw. There were initial concerns about his fitness, but he recovered fully. Pistorius actively supports the Mineseeker Foundation, a charity that works to raise awareness for landmine victims. |
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