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In Pictures
Gallery
In Pictures: Oscar Pistorius makes history
Pictures and reaction to Oscar Pistorius as he becomes the first amputee to take part in the Olympics
These are the artificial legs of the man who on Saturday 4th August 2012 became the first amputee to compete at the Olympic Games
Published On 6 Aug 2012
6 Aug 2012
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It has been a long road for South Africa(***)s Oscar Pistorius who fought a hard campaign to compete alongside able-bodied athletes. He was banned in 2007 but a year later the Court of Arbitration overturned the decision so he was allowed to follow his Olympic dream
Affectionately nicknamed the (***)blade runner(***), Pistorius lined up in lane six for the opening 400m heat. But what would happen to the man who had the eyes of the world on his blades?
Pistorius qualified in relaxed fashion finishing second behind heat winner Luguelin Santos of the Dominican Republic. He even had time to ease up over the final few metres but still set his fastest time of the year
The reaction to Pistorius(***) run has been overwhelmingly positive. Premier League footballer Joseph Barton called him (***)an inspiration(***) and many on Twitter said he was their hero
However, the Oscar Pistorius story is not black and white. If he wins the 400m gold then eyebrows may start to raise. But right now he is enjoying his success and popularity
He had some moving words for the media who fought to get the attention of the man of the moment. "I(***)ve worked for six years... to get my chance." He continued, "I found myself smiling in the starting blocks. Which is very rare in the 400 meters."
The Olympic journey ended for Pistorius when he finished last in the semifinals. He is now looking ahead to Rio and once again taking on able-bodied athletes and inspiring the world