Oscar's future uncertain

2007-12-12 07:51

Pretoria - Oscar Pistorius, the self-described "fastest thing on no legs", retains both his sense of humour and confidence when he mulls the possibility that his Olympics dream could be about to be shattered.

"It has been my dream to run with the able-bodied and in the Olympics," the South African double amputee tells AFP.

"I am very optimistic that they will clear this and find in my favour because I don't see why they say the 'cheetahs' gives me an unfair advantage."

While a certain brand of running shoes takes its name from another big cat, Pistorius's 'cheetahs' refer to the prosthetic limbs which have propelled him into the top tier of international 400 metre runners.

After packing his trophy cabinet with his performances in paralympic competitions, Pistorius then started competing against able-bodied athletes at blue-riband events such as Rome's Golden League meeting in July.

But with a storm brewing over whether the carbon fibre blades attached to both his legs below the knee give him an unfair advantage over his rivals, Pistorius and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) agreed in the same month that he would undergo a series of tests and analyses.

Training base

With the preliminary results due to be delivered on Friday, Pistorius is well aware that his career hangs in the balance along with his goal of competing in next year's Beijing Olympics.

In an interview in his home town of Pretoria, which Pistorius also uses as his training base, the 21-year-old stressed that he did not regard himself as a special case and wants the chance to prove himself against the best.

"I never dreamt I would be at the stage I am with my career. At times I even surprise myself," he said.

"But I train hard just like any other person. It's only determination that sets us apart."

Pistorius, still studying business management at Pretoria University, embarked on his running career only three years ago while jogging during his recuperation process after breaking a knee in a rugby match.

He soon swapped the rugby field for the track and has never looked back, breaking paralympic world records on 19 different occasions.

"I have improved on my performance 76 times," he boasted. "I did the 400m in only 46.34 seconds, becoming the fastest in South Africa this year."

Parking bays

The man somewhat inevitably dubbed by the press as the "Blade Runner", was fitted with his prosthetics when he was only 11 months old after a congenital disorder forced him to undergo the amputations.

But he has never viewed himself as disabled, refusing for example to use disabled parking bays.

"I don't see myself as a disabled, or different from others," he said.

"I am an ambitious person and can win and do anything and everything I set my mind on."

While his appearances have helped swell crowds, Pistorius has never been able to entirely shake off the perception that his progress has been as much about scientific advances in limb development as his undoubted drive and ambition.

Alison Burchell, a representative of Disability Sport South Africa, expressed hope that the results of the tests would end the debate.

"We believe that ... some independent scientific research can remove the increasing emotion from the debate," Burchell added.

With the possibility of him becoming the first amputee to run in the Olympics, Pistorius's story has attracted interest from Hollywood.

"My number one priority right now is to concentrate on my career. I would like to believe that my career has just started."

But when asked whom he would like to be portrayed by on the big screen, his answer is lightning quick: Johnny Depp, aka Edward Scissorhands.

- AFP