SAfrica's "Blade Runner" misses out on Beijing

AFP ©

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) - South Africa's double amputee track sensation Oscar Pistorius saw his last hope of winning a place to the Olympics dashed on Friday when he missed out on a berth in the 400 metre relay team.

"We did not select him," Athletics South Africa spokesman Molatelo Malehopo said of the outcome of a meeting of the federation's board on Thursday night.

"He is not going at all for the Olympic games ... We have faster guys than him in our Olympic team," Malehopo told AFP.

Pistorius missed out on the right to compete in Beijing in the individual 400 metre event when he came outside the qualifying time at a meeting in Lucerne on Wednesday night, despite recording a personal best of 46.25 seconds.

The 21-year-old later told reporters that he hoped to still sneak onto the plane to China with a spot in the 4x400-metre relay team but ASA's announcement means his Olympic dream will now be on hold for another four years.

Pistorius said on Friday he would not comment until he had been officially informed by ASA of the decision, but his agent, Peet van Zyl, admitted the paralympic world record holder had not held out much hope of inclusion.

"We hadn't been expecting him to make the team because his time wasn't the sixth fastest of the South Africans," said Van Zyl.

"We weren't looking (for ASA to have) a special set of rules for Oscar. He wanted to go to the Olympics because he deserved it on merit."

Pistorius, who had both of his legs amputated as a baby due to a congenital disorder, has been dubbed "Blade Runner" due to the specially-adapted carbon fibre blades with which he has won a host of Paralympic titles.

In May, Pistorius won a court battle to overturn an International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) ban that stopped him competing against able-bodied athletes.

He admitted then he would struggle to make the qualifying time for Beijing as the legal fight had affected his training, saying that the London Olympics in 2012 was a more realistic target.

Pistorius will compete in the Paralympics in Beijing in September, where he is expected to defend his 100m, 200m and 400m titles. He is also the world record holder in these events.