When Oscar Pistorius crossed the finish line in last place in the 400m semi-final heat at the International Association Federations (IAAF) World Championships, he knew it wasn’t his race to win.
The four-time Paralympic champion from South Africa couldn’t overcome a slow start and crossed the line in eighth place at 45.39 seconds, 1.84 seconds behind American LaShawn Merritt, who finished first in 44.35 seconds.
The heat was held August 29 at Daegu Stadium in South Korea, where Pistorius received a strong reception from the crowd of about 40,000 when he stepped into the starting blocks.
Pistorius achieved his personal best in the 200m at Potchefstroom, a city in the Northwest Province of South Africa in 2010, running the race in 21.41 seconds. He achieved his personal best in the 400m in July in Lignano Sabbiadoro, a town in northeastern Italy completing the race with a time of 45.07.
Despite his loss at Worlds, Pistorius achieved his main goal to the make semi-final heat, competing against other Olympic and world champions. He still has plans to compete in the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012.
