Oscar Pistorius Profile

Published by http://www.ossur.com/?PageID=3364

Oscar Pistorius' reputation as the "fastest thing on no legs" is gaining momentum with every race. A double amputee, the 20-year-old South African phenomenon is the world record holder in his category for the 100, 200 and 400 meters sprints. Even more remarkably, he took the silver medal over 400 meters in the 2007 South African National Championships competing against able-bodied runners.
Born without the fibula in both legs, Pistorius was only 11 months old when his parents made the wrenching decision to have his limbs amputated below the knee. Oscar says he never really knew anything different. As a child he announced to his father that one day he would play in the Super 8 rugby event, and this would characterize his future approach to life. He did indeed rugby, water polo and tennis player as a schoolboy.
Then in January 2004, Pistorius shattered his right knee on the rugby field. Doctors recommended he switch to track. At age 17, he ran the 100m in an open competition at the Pilditch stadium in his hometown of Pretoria after training for only two months. He ran it in 11.51 seconds: The world record was 12.2.
A mere eight months later, Pistorius raced alongside Marlon Shirley and Brian Frasure at the 2004 Athens Paralympics. Creating a sensation in the athletics world, he took the silver medal behind Shirley in the 100m. He also won gold in the 200m, breaking the world record with a time of 21.97 seconds. This made him the first amputee ever to run the 200m in under 22 seconds. He went home with four world records and the determination to do it again.
At the South African Championships in March 2005, Pistorius ran the 400m in the Open/Able-Bodied category and remarkably ranked 6th place in the final competition. That same year, he also won the gold in both the 100m and 200m while representing South Africa in the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester, England. Subsequently, the IAAF invited him to run in a Grand Prix meeting in Helsinki and at the World Championship in Manchester, making him the first disabled athlete ever invited to such events; a huge honor.
Being a bilateral amputee, Pistorius has always competed in both T43 (both legs amputated below the knee) and T44 events (one leg amputated below the knee). His 100m, 200m and 400m T43 world records are all faster than the T44 world records. He credits his Ossur’s Cheetah® Flex Foot running legs - he often refers to them as blades - with enabling him to run at his fastest and accomplish his unique achievements, helping him to move to his next step and past the finish line. He also finds comfortable walking feet and the ability to remain active in Ossur’s Modular III™ Flex Foot that he wears off the track.
Pistorius has now broken his own world records 26 times. In his determination to be considered as an athlete who just happens to run on Flex-Foot carbon-fiber feet, Pistorius aims to participate in the Olympics alongside able-bodied athletes.
In the meantime, Pistorius is still working toward becoming the fastest sprinter in the world. He has no plans to stop running at the Paralympics, which formed him into the competitive athlete he is today: He’s training hard to defend his 200m Paralympic title in Beijing in 2008. He’s also looking forward to receiving the go-ahead to compete in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the 2012 Olympics in London.

Oscar Pistorius Competitive Highlights
World Records (Broken a total of 26) Paralympic World Record times: 100m - Previous WR (12.22s) - Latest WR (10.91s) 200m - Previous WR (21.66s) - Latest WR (21.58s) 400m - Previous WR (49.42s) - Latest WR (49.16s)


2007
Senior South African National Championships – able-bodied - Silver - 400m (46.56s)
STOP PRESS:April 4th 2007 Oscar shattered the world record for the 100m sprint, running the distance in an amazing 10.91 seconds, at the Nedbank Championships for the Physically Disabled, South Africa.


2006
Visa Paralympics World Cup Manchester1st place - 100m1st place - 200m
IPC World Championships AssenGold 100m (11.32s)Gold 200m (21.80s) (new world record in semifinal 21.66s)Gold 400m (49.42s) (new world record)


2005
South African Open Championships 6th World Record (47.34s) Paralympic World Cup ManchesterGold - 100mGold - 200m


2004
Police College World Record - 100m (11.72s) AGN meetingWorld Record - 100m (11.51s)South African Championships - disableGold - 100mGold - 200mUSA Endeavor Games Silver / World Record - 100m (11.62s)Gold / World Record - 200m (22.71s)Paralympic Games, Athens Bronze - 100mGold / World Record - 200m (21.97s)


2003
Water Polo (2nd Team)Rugby


2001-2002
Water Polo Rugby


2000-1998
Tennis (1st Team)


1997
Cricket (school level) Tennis (school level)


1994-1994
Soccer (school level)Cricket (school level)Wrestling (club)