Double-amputee sprinter reaches world 400 semis

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DAEGU, South Korea (AP) — The double-amputee sprinter known as the

“Blade Runner” is steadily stealing Usain Bolt’s stage at the world

championships.

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Bounding along on his carbon-fiber blades, Oscar Pistorius is

proving he indeed belongs on the same track at major meets as

able-bodied athletes.

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On Sunday, in his opening heat of the 400 meters, the South African

finished third in 45.39 seconds to advance to the following day’s

semifinals.

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Although Bolt clearly remains the face of track, the 24-year-old

Pistorius is demonstrating there’s room for more. He never before

has competed for a major title and might not even make it to

Tuesday’s final, but his story remains an inspiration to

many.

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Not to mention a contentious topic for others, who think the blades

give Pistorius an unfair advantage.

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For Pistorius, this was simply a chance to compete against the

best. He fought off nerves and tracked Femi Ogunode of Qatar down

the back stretch with an impressive burst.

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“A big sense of relief,” Pistorius said. “This is a platform where

you work extremely hard to get here. Once you get here, you don’t

want to let it slide.”

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It’s been quite a path to reach this point for

Pistorius.

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The International Association of Athletics Federations had banned

the multi-Paralympic gold medalist from able-bodied competitions,

saying the blades he wears gave him an edge.

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In 2008, Pistorius was cleared to compete by the Court of

Arbitration for Sport. But he failed to qualify for that year’s

Beijing Olympics and then again for the 2009 worlds in

Berlin.

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Stronger, leaner and more confident, this has been a breakout

season for Pistorius. In one of his last races before Daegu, he

earned the “A” standard with his best-ever time of 45.07 to earn a

place at the worlds.

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“Phenomenal race,” Pistorius remembered. “Never had a race where

every aspect went extremely well.”

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A place in the final might require an even better performance.

After all, defending champion LaShawn Merritt hardly looked like he

broke a sweat as he cruised to a 44.35 in his heat, the fastest

time in 2011.

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Pistorius’ blades have been the source of curiosity and

controversy, with some wondering if the technology actually aids

the runner. Merritt tried to diffuse that notion.

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“I’m not really sure what’s going on with the technology,” said

Merritt, the Olympic gold medalist who competed in just his second

race since returning from a 21-month doping ban. “I haven’t seen a

story on it or went that deep into what the technology is. I just

see his times, and that he’s slowly getting better. So I can tell

he’s been working.”

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Belgian semifinalist Jonathan Borlee said the IAAF could be left in

an awkward position should Pistorius make it into the

final.

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“In that case I think, yeah, it will be a problem for IAAF, for

(the) federation who will say, ‘Oh it’s not fair,'” Borlee

said.

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Others competitors use the presence of Pistorius as a challenge,

not wanting to get beat by him. Chris Brown of the Bahamas powered

down the home stretch to win the heat involving

Pistorius.

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“With him being inside the race, automatically everybody steps up,”

Brown said. “No one wants to get beat by him. Me definitely, I

don’t want to get beat him.”

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Pistorius was born without fibulas and had both legs amputated just

below the knee when he was only 11 months old. He uses prosthetic

blades made of the carbon-fiber material to compete, leading to his

nickname and constant questions.

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Pistorius’ manager, Peet Van Zyl, dismisses such assertions that it

provides him a benefit.

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“We’re going to focus on running,” Van Zyl said. “That’s it, that’s

our focus.”

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Some believe the blades could present a danger if they hit someone.

So despite allowing him to compete, the IAAF said it made an

agreement with the South African federation that Pistorius would

only be allowed to run the leadoff leg of the 4×400 relay, which is

still in lanes before the event turns into a pack race.

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“I think that’s a good decision” Borlee said. “For security, I

think it’s much better to have him in the first leg because, you

know, if you get hit by his blades we can have serious

injuries.”

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With the qualifying standards for the 2012 London Games expected to

be similar, Pistorius could very well become the first amputee

sprinter in track and field at the Olympics.

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That would truly make him a trailblazer, and the mention of that

made him almost squirm.

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“There are Paralympic athletes that do exactly what I do every day,

train just as hard,” Pistorius said. “I’m very proud to be part of

that movement. The Paralympics have taught me a lot.

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“I really don’t feel like a pioneer, but I’m very honored to be in

the position I’m in.”

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—

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AP Sports Writers John Leicester and Raf Casert contributed to this

story.

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