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IAAF reject Oscar's accusation
17/07/2008 19:06 - (SA)
London - The International Association of
Athletics Federations (IAAF) rejected on Thursday an accusation
from double amputee Oscar Pistorius that it was desperate to
stop him competing at the Beijing Olympics.
IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said in an e-mail to Reuters that
there was no change in the world governing body's position that
the 21-year-old South African was welcome to seek qualification
for the Games.
Pistorius, who successfully appealed to the Court of
Arbitration for Sport against an IAAF ban, has failed in his bid
to run in the 400m in Beijing but still hopes to be a
member of his country's 4x400 relay squad.
After setting a personal best of 46.25 seconds in Lucerne,
Switzerland, on Wednesday Pistorius said recent comments from
IAAF officials showed they were still opposed to his taking part
in Beijing.
"One of the comments they made was that they didn't have the
resources to check my prosthetic legs at every event, which kind
of implies that I would try to cheat," Pistorius told reporters.
IAAF fully respect the CAS decision
"Personally that's not what I think sport is about and it's
kind of sad that they would feel that. I think it was the IAAF's
last desperate attempt to try and get me not to qualify.
Davies said the IAAF fully respected the CAS decision and
did not wish to influence the South African Olympic Committee,
which had full authority to select a men's 4x400m relay team for
Beijing.
"There has been no change to the IAAF position that Mr
Pistorius is welcome to seek qualification for the Olympics and
future competitions under IAAF rules," he said.
"Recent IAAF comments regarding Oscar Pistorius, stating
concerns about the risks inherent in 4x400 relay running and the
burdens caused by the need to police prosthetics, have no effect
on the official eligibility of Oscar Pistorius, nor should they
be misconstrued as a personal attack on Oscar."
Pistorius, whose lower legs were amputated when he was 11
months old, was banned from competing in January by the IAAF who
argued that the carbon fibre blades he uses gives him an
advantage over able-bodied athletes.
The ban was overturned by CAS which criticised the tests
carried out by the IAAF to measure the runner's performance
levels.
CAS said its ruling applied only to Pistorius and only for
as long as he continued to use his existing model of
prosthetics.
Pistorius said he expected to hear by Sunday if he had made
his country's Olympic relay team.
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