Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius was chosen by South Africa’s athletics federation to join the 13th International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in Athletics, which will be held August 27 through September 4, in Daegu, Korea.
Pistorius will be the first amputee athlete at the world championships. He will be South Africa’s only runner in the 400m, and was also chosen for the 4x400m relay.
The 24-year-old was part of a group of 26 athletes picked by Athletics South Africa after he smashed his personal best last month at a meet in Lignano, Italy. He needed to run the 400-meter event in 45.25 seconds to make this year’s world championships. Pistorius clocked 45.07 seconds, which qualified him for the world championships and the 2012 London Olympics; he had never run the 400-meter event faster than 45.61 seconds.
“I have dreamt for such a long time of competing in a major championships and this is a very proud moment in my life,” Pistorius said. “It will be a great day for me when I set out on the track in Daegu, and I hope to do my country proud.”
