World record for Pistorius

2004-09-21 19:31

Athens - Pretoria schoolboy Oscar Pistorius sprinted to a sensational world record in the Athens Paralympic 200m final at the Olympic Stadium on Tuesday night.

Pistorius, the only double-leg amputee in the field, was described as a sprinting phenomenon by Brian Frasure, the American whose world record the 17-year-old broke when he flew across the line in 21.97sec.

"I feel fantastic," said Pistorius, who, only in January, gave up playing schoolboy rugby for athletics.

"I'm really very tired now from all this heavy concentration. I just want to get back to my room and rest up for the 100m now."

Frasure said: "There are not many able-bodied athletes who can break 22 seconds. That was good for a sub-11 second 100m."

Pistorius visited Frasure at his home in North Carolina in July where the former world-record holder made the racing prosthetics the youngster used to break the American's world mark of 22.71sec.

Watch the young man fly

"Now it's going to be a thrill to sit in the stands and watch this young man fly.

"He's going to get faster and faster. He's phenomenal. And the prosthesis I made for him did great work.

"So, it's a bitter-sweet defeat for me," said the American, who finished third in 22.83sec behind Marlon Shirley who took the silver in 22.67.

Pistorius was on a huge high afterwards, especially after his nerve-racking qualifier on Monday when he fell forward on to his knees and hands as the gun went off.

He showed incredible grit then to get up and chase the field, then overhaul it for a double-amputee world record of 23.42sec.

The Pretoria Boys High learner, whose legs were amputated below his knees because he was born with no shin bones, got off to a superb start and surged like a thoroughbred racehorse.

Then, for one heart-stopping moment he staggered about 10m from the line.

"I lost my rhythm there," he said. "But I held out to break that 22 seconds."

Van Dyk was cut off

In the morning session, wheelchair athlete Ernst van Dyk was cut off from a certain gold medal by Mexico's Saul Mendoza in the 1 500m final and Beverly Mashinini won a bronze in the javelin.

Van Dyk controlled the pace from the gun, but with 200m to go, the Mexican came through on the outside and cut the South African off, forcing his left wheel off the ground.

Van Dyk had to take evasive action to prevent his lightweight rail from going over.

The manner in which he held off the charge and gained ground on Mendoza down the main straight for the silver in 3:05.29 to the Mexican's 3:04.88, spoke volumes for Van Dyk's form.

Athletics team manager Ampie Louw was set to lodge an appeal, but he and Van Dyk decided to let the matter stand.

Pistorius' gold and the two medals on Tuesday morning brought South Africa's medal tally to five gold (Natalie du Toit 2, Fanie Lombaard, Malcolm Pringle and Pistorius), four silver (Scott Field 2, Van Dyk and Nathan Meyer) and one bronze (Mashinini).

- SAPA