Pistorius’s father hails his achievements

Double leg amputee Oscar Pistorius

The father of double leg amputee Oscar Pistorius says his son would not be where he is today if he had listened to negative comments.

Henke Pistorious was speaking in Port Elizabeth after hearing that Oscar had been given the green light to qualify for the Beijing Olympics after winning his appeal against a ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) ruled in January that Pistorius could not complete with able bodied athletes. The 21-year-old then appealed to the CAS. Henke Pistorious says his son would not have a problem with the short time left to practice.

Earlier, the IAAF banned him from competing against able-bodied runners. At the heart of the dispute is Pistorius's carbon fibre blades, and whether they give him a mechanical advantage.

Pistorius holds the 400m Paralympics world record of 46.56 seconds. That time is outside the Olympic qualifying standard, but he can be included in the South African relay squad.

Pistorius was born without fibulas - the long, thin outer bone between the knee and ankle. Both his legs were amputated below his knees before his first birthday. Pistorius will be participating in both able-bodied and Paralympics events before Beijing. He will compete in Milan on July 2 and at the Golden Gala meeting in Rome on July 11.