An amputee of both legs, Oscar Pistorius has won a court appeal and will try and compete for the Beijing Olympics. The 21-year-old, who runs on specifically adapted carbon fibre blades after having his legs amputated below the knee when he was just 11 months old, saw the ban imposed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) overturned in a landmark judgement by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Due to claims that the artificial legs he uses give him an unfair advantage, the runner was previously barred from all competitions involving able-bodied athletes. "Today, I can pursue my dream of competing in the Olympic Games. If it's not for Beijing, it will be for London in 2012," said the South African, nicknamed 'Bladerunner'..

The South African runner still has a challenging task ahead. His personal best time for the 400 meter is 46.46 seconds. To qualify for the Olympic team, he must cross 45.95 seconds. However even if he fails to make the time for the individual event, he could still take part in the relay.

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