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Excluded Pistorius gets silver for relay
Source: Agencies |
September 3, 2011, Saturday
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DOUBLE-AMPUTEE runner Oscar Pistorius won a silver medal yesterday at the world championships despite being excluded from the starting lineup in the 4x400-meter relay race.
One day after helping South Africa qualify for the final, Pistorius was left out of yesterday's final race and could only watch his teammates finish second in a thrilling finale won by the United States.
"Haven't Been included in the Final for the SA Mens 4x400m. Pretty Guttered," Pistorius wrote in a Twitter message early yesterday.
Instead of Pistorius, the South African team decided to go with L.J. van Zyl, who won bronze in the 400-meter hurdles on Thursday. Because Pistorius ran the heats, he got the medal nevertheless.
After making a historic breakthrough for Paralympic athletes by reaching the semifinals of the 400 early this week, the "Blade Runner" ran a strong leadoff leg on in the heats to help his team to a third-place finish and a South African record.
Still, Pistorius had to make way for Van Zyl.
"We decided before the heats that the slowest runner on the team in the prelims would not run the final," Van Zyl said. "Unfortunately, Oscar's leg was the slowest."
The IAAF had said that Pistorius could only run the lead-off leg of the relay because it is completed with teams still running in lanes. There were fears that his blades could be a danger if he had to run in a bunch.
One day after helping South Africa qualify for the final, Pistorius was left out of yesterday's final race and could only watch his teammates finish second in a thrilling finale won by the United States.
"Haven't Been included in the Final for the SA Mens 4x400m. Pretty Guttered," Pistorius wrote in a Twitter message early yesterday.
Instead of Pistorius, the South African team decided to go with L.J. van Zyl, who won bronze in the 400-meter hurdles on Thursday. Because Pistorius ran the heats, he got the medal nevertheless.
After making a historic breakthrough for Paralympic athletes by reaching the semifinals of the 400 early this week, the "Blade Runner" ran a strong leadoff leg on in the heats to help his team to a third-place finish and a South African record.
Still, Pistorius had to make way for Van Zyl.
"We decided before the heats that the slowest runner on the team in the prelims would not run the final," Van Zyl said. "Unfortunately, Oscar's leg was the slowest."
The IAAF had said that Pistorius could only run the lead-off leg of the relay because it is completed with teams still running in lanes. There were fears that his blades could be a danger if he had to run in a bunch.
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