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Date set for Pistorius appeal
01/04/2008 14:42 - (SA)
Geneva - Double amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius' appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn a ruling that he is ineligible to compete at the Olympics will be heard on April 29-30.
Pistorius is seeking to overturn the decision by the International Association of Athletics Federations in January that he cannot participate in the Beijing Games - or any other sanctioned able-bodied competition - because his prosthetic racing limbs give him a clear competitive advantage.
CAS confirmed the date of the appeal hearing on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old Pistorius appealed the decision on Feb. 13, saying he does not gain an unfair advantage from his "Cheetah" j-shaped blades.
The IAAF ruling was based on studies by German professor Gert-Peter Brueggemann, who conducted tests on the prosthetic limbs and concluded that they gave Pistorius a mechanical edge.
Nicknamed the "Blade Runner," Pistorius has set world records in the 100m, 200m and 400m 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 is overturned, Pistorius would still need to qualify for the South African team to race at the Beijing Olympics in August.
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 union injury, and nine months later won the 200 at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens.
- AP
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