Pistorius lodges CAS appeal

2008-02-13 18:14

Geneva - Double amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius has asked world sport's highest court to overturn a ruling that he is ineligible to compete in the Olympics.

The IAAF ruled last month that the South African cannot participate in the Beijing Games - or any other sanctioned able-bodied competition - because his "Cheetah" prosthetics give him a clear competitive advantage.

The 21-year-old Pistorius appealed the decision on Wednesday to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), saying he does not get an unfair advantage from his prosthetic racing blades.

"I am filing this appeal not just for myself, but for all disabled athletes," Pistorius said in a statement. "We deserve a chance to compete at the highest levels if our bodies permit us to do so."

The IAAF ruling was based on studies it commissioned by German professor Gert-Peter Brueggemann, who conducted tests on the prosthetic limbs and said they gave Pistorius a mechanical edge. Pistorius has said the IAAF tests were done "very professionally" but added that other experts had told him the tests were not comprehensive enough.

The Lausanne, Switzerland-based CAS said it could not immediately comment.

Need to qualify

Pistorius, nicknamed the "Blade Runner," has set world records in the 100, 200 and 400 in Paralympic events.

He finished second in the 400m at the South African national championships last year against able-bodied runners.

Even if the IAAF decision was overturned, he would still need to qualify for the South African team to race at the Beijing Olympics. The athlete said his schedule would be seriously affected by the ruling because about 80% of his races are able-bodied events.

Pistorius was born without fibulas - the long, thin outer bone between the knee and ankle - and was 11 months old when his legs were amputated below the knee.

He began running competitively four years ago to treat a rugby injury, and nine months later won the 200m at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens.

- AP