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'Fastest man on no legs' has CWG on his radar

Source:PTI
August 13, 2010 12:15 IST

"The fastest man on no legs", triple paralympic gold medallist Oscar Pistorius is aiming to qualify as an able-bodied athlete for the Delhi Commonwealth Games but remains non-committal on whether he would actually participate in the mega-event.

The 23-year-old double-amputee South African, who is the world record holder in the 100, 200 and 400 metres (sport class T44) events, will be seeking to breach the requisite 46-second mark at the Diamond League meeting at Crystal Palace to make the Commonwealth cut for an able-bodied athlete.

Pistorius clocked a personal best of 46.02sec last month in Italy, just 0.07sec below the qualifying mark to compete in the 400m as an able-bodied athlete in Commonwealth and Olympic Games.

"I'm hoping the weather will be good, and I'd like to try to go under 45.95 seconds, but if I do, I will leave the decision on the Commonwealth Games up to my coach, Ampie Louw," Pistorius was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph.

"He has been telling me it has been a long season – I've been racing since May – and if I reach qualifying, the final decision will rest with him," he added.

Pistorius runs with the aid of Cheetah Flex-Foot carbon fibre transtibial artificial limbs. In 2007, he took part in his first international competitions for able-bodied athletes.

Source: PTI
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