IAAF tells Oscar to calm down

2007-07-16 13:43

London - Athletics' governing body, the IAAF, wants Oscar Pistorius "to calm down" after the double-amputee accused it of "stuffing up" his season.

The sprinter could be banned from the 2008 Olympics if the IAAF decides his blades give him an unfair advantage.

"We've got nothing against disabled athletes," IAAF communications director Nick Davies told BBC Radio Five Live. "We believe these are technical aids. We are giving him the benefit of the doubt by doing research on his blades."

In March the IAAF introduced a rule banning any runner deemed to benefit from artificial help.

It later said Pistorius could compete while they researched whether or not he gains an advantage from his blades.

South African Pistorius, who competed in the 400m in Sunday's British Grand Prix in Sheffield, said there had been a breakdown in communication between him and the IAAF.

"They have things to rectify and it is their duty to do the necessary testing to clear up this matter," he said.

"The ban they implemented made me go back to a winter training schedule but then four weeks ago when they lifted it I had to go back to a summer schedule so it has stuffed up my season."

But Davies said: "The fact is he's never been banned.

"We have a rule that basically forbids technical aids. We've got nothing against disabled athletes."

"What we did four weeks ago was not re-instate him but actually clarify he wasn't banned, that he could run.

"What we are doing now is... finding out if [his blades] do give him an advantage, in other words make him faster than he would have been as an able-bodied athlete.

"I just think he needs to calm down a little bit and to respect us as well and the fact that we're paying for the research, he isn't.

"We're doing it off our own bat and we're just trying to be very fair with him."

- News24