London 2012 is hitting its halfway point and has already garnered many milestones in Olympic history. Gabby Douglas is the first African-American gymnast to win the All-Around, Michael Phelps is now the most decorated Olympian of all time, and the first amputee to ever compete in the Olympics made his debut last night. Click through to find out more about the double amputee track star Oscar Pistorius from South Africa, who defied the odds yesterday when he qualified in his first 400m heat. Bit of a side note – he’s hot as hell.
Yes, this man has no legs and can outrun you. Yes, no legs and he still made it to the Olympics, the biggest stage in athletic prowess, in an event that requires what he lost as a child. Born with a congenital disease, he had both lower legs amputated at only 11 months old. Despite this setback, he started playing rugby, water polo, wrestling and tennis as early as 11-years-old with the help of carbon-fiber prosthetic devices. After a knee injury in 2004, he started running and developed a love for track and field. Thanks to technology, the miracles performed by Oscar reached an all-time high last night as he debuted as the first amputee to compete against able-bodied athletes in the Olympics.
Due to his passion and steadfast mentality, the “Blade Runner” has qualified for the 400m at the London 2012 Olympics. Tune in tonight and tomorrow night for the event’s semi- and finals, and then catch him on Thursday and Friday for the 4x400m relay. His performance is bound to inspire others to push through their shortcomings and with such grace and focus, he is shaping up to be the leading charmer of the 30th Olympiad.
Will you be watching Oscar Pistorius go for the gold?
UPDATE – Oscar Pistorius struggled to qualify in the semifinals tonight, so he will not advance to the 400m finals tomorrow. He still remains upbeat and is admired by his competitors. Kirani James of Grenada, who won the semifinals, chose to trade his race bib with Pistorius as a sign of respect.
This is an admirable moment of great sportsmanship to round off Pistorius’s Olympic run.
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daffodil / 1615 posts
I first heard about him when Oakley begun their Beyond Reason campaign for the Olympics and he was a part of it. At one point he was ruled ineligible to run against able-bodied athletes because it was thought that his running prosthetics gave him a competitive advantage, however he appealed it and the decision was ultimately overturned.
guest
I’m really glad the distinction between paralympics and olympics is getting fuzzier.
There’s a female ping pong player in the Olympics, too. She’s missing an arm. Wonder why people don’t talk much about her :O
guest
I think it’s good that the Paralympics exist, but even more awesome when someone is able to overcome their disability to compete against those that are able-bodied. I feel like he has to be really inspiration to anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation, whether from early on like him or from an accident later in life. It’s also great prosthetics and use of them has advanced enough to enable this kind of thing.
guest
What a beautiful man with an amazing story!