South African Oscar Pistorius, a double amputee who ran with prosthetic legs, failed to qualify for the men’s 400-meter Olympic final on Sunday. But he became the first double amputee to compete in the semifinal, clocking 46.54 seconds. Nicknamed “The Blade Runner” because he runs on carbon fiber blades, Pistorius came in nearly two seconds behind the leader in his semifinal heat. Grenada’s Kirani James, who in 2011 became the youngest-ever Olympic champion in the 400-meter event at age 18, said Pistorius deserved recognition. “He’s an inspiration to all of us. He is very special to our sport.” Pistorious, who described the experience as mind-blowing, said, “My aim was to make the semifinal. It’s a dream come true. Thanks to everyone for their support.”
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A related story on how Pistorius remembers is late mother is also available on Rappler.
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