OSCAR PISTORIUSRECORD BREAKER

His parents, Henk and Sheila, consulted with some of the leading doctors in the world before making the heart-wrenching decision to have his legs amputated below the knee by South African orthopedic surgeon Dr. Gerry Versveld.

His parents were advised by doctors that having the amputation done before Oscar had learnt to walk would be less traumatic for him and would greatly improve his chances of mobility in later life. Six months later he received his first pair of prosthetic legs and within days he had mastered them.

Supported and encouraged by his sports-mad family, Oscar lived an active life which led to him becoming a keen sportsman during his school years. Whatever the sport, Oscar played it, with his main focus being water polo and rugby in secondary school. He also played cricket, tennis, took part in triathlons and Olympic club wrestling and was an enthusiastic boxer.

In June 2003, he shattered his knee playing rugby for Pretoria Boys High School and feared that his sporting career was over at the age of 16. On the advice of Dr. Versveld, Oscar took up track running to aid his rehabilitation and began training under the guidance of coach Ampie Louw at the Sports Science Institute at the University of Pretoria.

Proud Record Breaking ParalympianAfter a few months in the gym, Oscar took part in his first

track session on New Year’s Day, 2004.Three weeks later he entered a school 100 metre race on

the prompting of one of his teachers and won in a time of 11.72 seconds. After the race his father looked up how Oscar’s time compared to the best in the world and Henk discovered that his 17-year-old son’s time was faster than the existing Paralympic world record of 12.20s!

In June 2004, he was given his first pair of Össur manufactured Flex-Foot Cheetahs and eight months after first stepping onto the track, the South African created a sensation in the athletics world by winning the T44 200m gold medal at the Athens Paralympics, breaking the world record with a time of 21.97s. He also returned home with a

Oscar Pistorius was born on 22 November 1986 without a fibula, the long, slender bone running along the outside of the leg from below the knee joint and down to the ankle, in each of his legs.

bronze medal in the 100m and overnight was propelled onto front and back pages around the world.

Oscar is a proud Paralympian and believes that the Paralympic Games in London will be a high watermark for the Paralympic movement. Oscar has ambitions to continue to promote the Paralympic movement and educate and inspire people around the world about the Paralympic Games.

Spurred on by his achievements at the Paralympic Games, Oscar set his sights on competing against able-bodied athletes and, at the South African Championships in March 2005, he finished sixth in the 400m final.

His performances continued to gain attention and headlines across the world and after he had won gold in the T44 100m and 200m disciplines at the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester, England, he was invited by the IAAF to run in a Grand Prix meeting in Helsinki but was unable to attend due to school commitments.

It was at the IAAF Golden Gala event at the Olympic Stadium in Rome on 13 July 2007 that Pistorius first competed internationally against able-bodied athletes. In the ‘B’ race, he finished second across 400m in a time of 46.90s.

IAAF RulingIn November 2007, Oscar was invited to take part in a

series of scientific tests at the Cologne Sports University under the guidance of Professor of Biomechanics Dr. Peter Brüggemann in conjunction with Mr Elio Locatelli, who was responsible with the IAAF of all technical issues. After two days of tests Brüggemann reported on his findings on behalf of the IAAF. The report claimed that Pistorius was able to run at the same speed as able bodied athletes while using less energy and that his prosthetic limbs gave him an advantage over able bodied athletes.

Pistorius strongly challenged the report claiming that the tests were biased and scientifically flawed. Following an IAAF vote, Pistorius was banned from all able-bodied athletics competitions.

Pistorius employed the services of law firm Dewey & LeBoeuf to challenge the ruling via an appeal and travelled to America to take part in a series of further tests carried out at Rice University in Houston by a team of scientists including Hugh Herr, Ph.D. and Rodger Kram, Ph.D.

After a two-day hearing, on 16 May 2008 the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld Oscar’s appeal and the IAAF council decision was revoked with immediate effect.

The CAS panel unanimously determined that Dr. Brüggemann only tested Oscar’s biomechanics at full-speed when he was running in a straight line (unlike a real 400m

Oscar Pistorius

race), that the IAAF did not consider the disadvantages that Oscar suffers at the start and acceleration phases of the race, that Dr. Brüggemann did not consider disadvantages that Oscar suffers, and that overall there was no evidence that Oscar had any net advantage over able-bodied athletes.

Pistorius’ ability to train sufficiently for Beijing had been hampered by the scientific testing and court proceedings and yet he finished third at the Spitzen Leichtathletik meeting in Lucerne with a personal best time of 46.25s - 0.70 seconds outside the Olympic qualifying time.

Pistorius concentrated on the Paralympics in Beijing and became the first athlete in history to win gold in the 100m, 200m and 400m events in the T43/T44 category, the latter in a new Paralympic record of 47.49s.

Career In ProgressOn 21 February 2009, Oscar suffered serious head and facial

injuries in a boat accident on the Vaal River in Johannesburg. He was airlifted to hospital and was in intensive care for five days.

The accident altered his lifestyle and strengthened his focus. He recovered from his injuries and turned his attention to continuing to break Paralympic records and working to achieve the required time for Olympic qualification.

In January 2011, a slimmer, trimmer Pistorius won three IPC Athletics World titles in New Zealand but was beaten for the first time in seven years in the 100m by American Jerome Singleton.

Oscar subsequently won the T44 400m in 47.28s and the 100m in 11.04s at the BT Paralympic World Cup in May to reassert himself as the world’s leading Paralympic sprinter.

He competed across a number of able-bodied races in the summer of 2011 and posted three times under 46 seconds but it was in Lignano, Italy, on 19 July that Oscar set a personal best of 45.07s in the 400m, attaining the World Championships and Olympic Games ‘A’ standard qualification mark.

The IAAF World Championships, DaeguOn 08 August 2011 it was announced that Oscar had

been included in the South African team for the IAAF World Championships in Daegu and was selected for the 400m and 4x400m relay squad.

In the heats of the 400m, Oscar finished third in a time of 45.39s, his second quickest time ever, to qualify for the semi-final.

The semi-final saw him finish eighth in his race in 46.19s.In the heats of the 4x400m relay, Oscar ran the opening

leg as the South African team advanced to the finals with a national record time of 2:59.21s. Pistorius was not selected for the final but was awarded a historic silver medal having run in the heats and so became the first ever Paralympic athlete to win a World Championship medal.

To be selected for the South African team to compete at the Olympic Games in London, Oscar must again run inside the 400m ‘A’ standard of 45.25 seconds between January and June 2012.

Oscar will also be looking to represent South Africa in the Paralympic Games to defend his T44 100m, 200m and 400m titles.

Focus, determination and hard work are the key elements to make a champion athlete but courage is the ultimate deciding factor to overcoming obstacles from unexpected corners. South Africa has a history of creating heroes and Oscar Pistorius is one of them.

Oscar Pistorius

2003

21 June Shatters his knee playing rugby for Pretoria Boys High School and is ruled out of sport for three months.

November Begins injury rehabilitation at the Sports Science Institute at the University of Pretoria under the guidance of athletics coach Ampie Louw.

2004

01 January Takes part in his first sprint session with Louw on New Year’s Day. 28 January Runs in his first competitive 100m race for Pretoria Boys High School in a time of 11.72s. The existing Paralympic world record was 12.20s.

March Improves his time further to 11.51s at an open competition at the Pilditch Stadium, Pretoria.

June Invited by family friend Chris Hatting to the US to trial Össur manufactured Flex-Foot Cheetahs for the first time.

September Wins Paralympic gold in the T44 200m in a Paralympic world record in 21.97s and wins bronze in the T44 100m final in a time of 11.16s.

2005

March Finishes sixth in the able-bodied 400m at the South African Championships.

May Wins gold in T44 100m and 200m events at the BT Paralympic World Cup in Manchester.

August

Invited to attend IAAF international event in Helsinki, but declines due to school commitments. The following year is devoted to athletics training and his education.

2007

March Runs a breakthrough 400m time of 46.56s in the South African Championships. 26 March IAAF Council introduces amendment to Rule 144-2(e) regarding “technical aids” after meeting in Mobasa, Kenya.

04 April Breaks the T43 100m world record in a time 10.91s at the Nedbank Championships for the Physically Disabled, in Gauteng, South Africa.

13 July Finishes second in the Golden Gala event at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, in a time of 46.90s. IAAF installs high definition cameras around the track to analyse Pistorius’ running style.

15 July Competes at the British Grand Prix in Sheffield, but bad weather hampers his race and he finishes in a time of 47.65s.

12-13 November IAAF conducts tests with Oscar at the Cologne Sports University under the guidance of Professor of Biomechanics Dr Peter Brüggemann in conjunction with Mr Elio Locatelli, who is responsible with the IAAF of all technical issues.

09 December Receives the Helen Rollason Award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2007, which is awarded for outstanding courage and achievement in the face of adversity.

20 December IAAF sends Pistorius report saying that he has an unfair advantage. Pistorius given until January 10 to respond.

2008

10 January Pistorius responds to IAAF report claiming that the tests were unfair and biased.

11 January IAAF Executive Council vote to ratify the decision and Pistorius is banned from all able-bodied athletics competitions.

13 February Law firm Dewey & LeBoeuf challenge the IAAF via an appeal on behalf of Oscar Pistorius.

February Oscar takes part in scientific tests at Rice University in Houston, USA. Research team includes Hugh Herr, Ph.D. and Rodger Kram, Ph.D.

May Selected in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World list.

16 May

Court of Arbitration for Sport rule in Pistorius’ favour citing that “the athlete is eligible to compete in IAAF-sanctioned events while wearing Össur Flex-Foot Cheetah® prosthesis model”.

The report states there is no evidence that Oscar has any net advantage over able-bodied athletes.

16 July Pistorius finishes third at the Spitzen Leichtathletik meeting in Lucerne with a 400m personal best time of 46.25s but 0.70s outside the Olympic qualifying time.

September Wins T44 100m, 200m & 400m Paralympic golds in Beijing, setting a new Paralympic record of 47.49s in the 400m.

2010

August Competes in the London Aviva Grand Prix, setting a new 400m T44 world record of 47.04s in the Paralympic race, before finishing 7th in the able-bodied event.

2011

January Wins gold medals in the 200m, 400m and 4x400m relay at the IPC Athletics World Championships in New Zealand, but gets the silver medal as he loses his first 100m in seven years to Jerome Singleton.

23 March Sets personal best of 45.61s to win 400m at Provincial Championships in Pretoria, inside the ‘B’ qualification standard for the Olympic Games and World Championships.

27 May Wins the T44 100m race in 11.04s and the 400m in 47.28s at the BT

Paralympic World Cup

31 May Competes in the IAAF Golden Spike meet in Ostrava, running 46.19s for 400m.

11 June Runs his second fastest 400m time of 45.69s at Adidas Grand Prix in New York.

08 July Finishes fifth in time of 45.81s at the Paris Diamond League 400m event.

17 July Runs 46.65s for 400m in Padova, Italy.

19 July Wins in a time of 45.07s for 400m in Lignano, Italy to qualify for the IAAF

World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

08 August Selected for the South African IAAF World Championships team in the 400m and 4x400m relay.

28 August Runs 45.39s in the 400m heats in Daegu to qualify for the semi-final.

29 August Runs 46.19s in the semi-final and finishes the race in eighth.

01 September Runs the opening leg of the 4x400m relay as South Africa advance to the finals with a national record time of 2:59.21s.

02 September South Africa finish second in the 4x400m final but Oscar is not selected for the team. He is awarded a silver medal for his inclusion in the heats and so becomes the first Paralympic athlete to win a World Championship medal.

Oscar Pistorius Timeline

Oscar Pistorius

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