Oscar’s Olympic dream in doubt
2006-11-10 22:01:55
Cape Town - Even if South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius runs qualifying times, it is not yet a foregone conclusion that he will be allowed to take part in the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.
This was confirmed by Alison Burchell, a spokesperson for Dissa, the national control body for handicapped athletes.
Pistorius, who will turn 20 on November 22, is determined to show in the upcoming domestic track season that he deserves a spot on the South African 4x400m relay team for the Games in China.
The SA track championships will be held in Durban in March and that is where Pistorius wants to launch his campaign.
Burchell said, however, that they would have to determine how international bodies felt about Pistorius’ possible Olympic participation.
She suspects that a several meetings will have to take place between athletics’ governing body (IAAF) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in order to clarify Pistorius’s position.
“I think people will point out that Oscar could take part in the Paralympic Games. He should be proud to take part. Questions could be raised why he prefers to take part in the Olympic Games.”
The Paralympic Games were, according to Burchell, on par with the Olympics.
The next question that surely would be raised is whether it would be to Pistorius’s advantage to run with special carbon-fibre blades.
Burchell said: “I think a lot of research will still have to be done before a decision can be taken into whether or not it gives him an advantage over his competitors.”