Oscar Pistorius

Pistorius taking part in the Landsmót ungmennafélags Íslands in Kópavogur, Iceland, the largest sporting event in the country, on 8 July 2007
Personal information
Nickname(s)	Blade Runner; the fastest man on no legs; "Oz" Pistorius[1]
Born	(1986-11-22) 22 November 1986 (age 25) Sandton, Johannesburg, Transvaal Province (now Gauteng Province), South Africa
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 1⁄4 in) in prosthetics[2]
Weight	80.5 kg (177 lb) (2007)[3]
Website	www.oscarpistorius.com
Sport
Country	South Africa
Sport	Running
Event(s)	Sprints (100, 200, 400 m)
Achievements and titles
World finals	2005 Paralympic World Cup: 100 m (T44) – Gold; 200 m (T44) – Gold
National finals	2007 South African Senior Athletics Championships: 400 m (T44) – Gold
Paralympic finals	2008 Summer Paralympics: 100 m (T44) – Gold, 200 m (T44) – Gold; 400 m (T44) – Gold 2004 Summer Paralympics: 100 m (T44) – Bronze; 200 m (T44) – Gold
Highest world ranking	100 m: 1st (2008)[4] 200 m: 1st (2008)[5] 400 m: 1st (2008)[6]
Personal best(s)	100 m (T44): 10.91 s (2007, WR) 200 m (T44): 21.41 s (2010, WR) [7] 400 m (T44): 45.07
Medal record Men's athletics Competitor for  South Africa World Championships Silver 2011 Daegu 4 × 400 m relay Paralympic Games Gold 2004 Athens 200 metres (T44) Gold 2008 Beijing 100 metres (T44) Gold 2008 Beijing 200 metres (T44) Gold 2008 Beijing 400 metres (T44) Bronze 2004 Athens 100 metres (T44)
Updated on 14 September 2008.

Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius (born 22 November 1986) is a South African sprint runner. Known as the "Blade Runner" and "the fastest man on no legs", Pistorius, who has a double amputation, is the world record holder in the 100, 200 and 400 metres (sport class T44) events and runs with the aid of Cheetah Flex-Foot carbon fibre transtibial artificial limbs by Ossur.

In 2007, Pistorius took part in his first international competitions for able-bodied athletes. However, his artificial lower legs, while enabling him to compete, have generated claims that he has an unfair advantage over able-bodied runners. The same year, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) amended its competition rules to ban the use of "any technical device that incorporates springs, wheels or any other element that provides a user with an advantage over another athlete not using such a device". The federation claimed that the amendment was not specifically aimed at Pistorius. After monitoring his track performances and carrying out tests, scientists took the view that Pistorius enjoyed considerable advantages over athletes without prosthetic limbs. On the strength of these findings, on 14 January 2008 the IAAF ruled him ineligible for competitions conducted under its rules, including the 2008 Summer Olympics. This decision was reversed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on 16 May 2008, the Court ruling overall there was no evidence that Pistorius had any net advantage over able-bodied athletes.

Although eligible to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, Pistorius did not qualify for the South African team. Despite achieving third place and a personal best time of 46.25 seconds in the 400 metres in Lucerne, Switzerland, on 16 July 2008, this was short of the Olympic qualification time of 45.55 seconds. He was also not selected by the South African Olympic Committee for the 4 × 400 metres relay team as there were four other runners who had achieved better times. At the 2008 Summer Paralympics, he took the gold medals in the 100, 200 and 400 metres (T44) sprints.

With his 400 m time of 45.07 on 19 July 2011, he achieved the "A" qualifying standard for the 2011 World Championships and 2012 Olympics. He participated in the 400m sprint and 4x400m relay, being eliminated in the semi-final of the 400m sprint (finishing last with a time of 46.19secs) and being part of South Africa's silver medal winning relay team, making him the first amputee to win an able-bodied world track medal, although he was not selected for the final.

Early years and education[link]

Oscar Pistorius was born to Henke and Sheila Pistorius on 22 November 1986 in Sandton, Johannesburg, in what was then Transvaal Province (now Gauteng Province) of South Africa,^[1] with congenital absence of the fibula in both legs. When he was 11 months old, his legs were amputated halfway between his knees and ankles.^[3] He attended Constantia Kloof Primary^[8] and Pretoria Boys High School^[1][9] where, between the ages of 11 and 13, he played rugby union in the school's third XV team, water polo and tennis. He also played water polo and tennis at provincial level. In addition, Pistorius took part in club Olympic wrestling.^[2][10][11] After a serious rugby knee injury in June 2003, he was introduced to running in January 2004 while undergoing rehabilitation, and "never looked back".^[10]

Pistorius is studying for a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.)^[12] in business management with sports science at the University of Pretoria;^[2][10] in a June 2008 interview for his University's website, he joked: "I won't graduate soon. With all the training I have had to cut down on my subjects. Hopefully I'll finish by the time I'm 30!"^[12] His sporting motto is: "You're not disabled by the disabilities you have, you are able by the abilities you have."^[10]

Sporting career[link]

Known as the "Blade Runner"^[13] and "the fastest man on no legs",^[14][15] he took part in the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens and came third overall in the T44 (one leg amputated below the knee)^[11] 100-metre event.^[16] Despite falling in the preliminary round for the 200 metres, he qualified for the final.^[17] He went on to win the final with a world record time of 21.97 seconds, beating American runners with a single amputation Marlon Shirley and Brian Frasure.^[16]

In 2005, Pistorius finished sixth in the able-bodied South African Championships over 400 metres with a world-record time of 47.34 seconds,^[11] and at the Paralympic World Cup in the same year he won gold in the 100 metres and 200 metres, beating his previous 200-metre world record.^[18][19] At the 2006 Paralympic Athletics World Championships, Pistorius won gold in the 100, 200 and 400-metre events, breaking the world record over 200 metres.^[20] On 17 March 2007, he set a disability sports world record for the 400 metres (46.56 seconds) at the South African Senior Athletics Championships in Durban,^[21] and at the Nedbank Championships for the Physically Disabled held in Johannesburg in April 2007, he became the world record holder of the 100 and 200-metre events with times of 10.91 and 21.58 seconds respectively.^[22][23]

Pistorius was invited by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) to take part in what would have been his first international able-bodied event, the 400-metre race at the IAAF Grand Prix in Helsinki, Finland, in July 2005. He was unable to attend, however, because of school commitments.^[24] On 13 July 2007, Pistorius ran in the 400-metre race at Rome's Golden Gala and finished second in run B with a time of 46.90 seconds, behind Stefano Braciola who ran 46.72 seconds.^[25] This was a warm-up for his appearance at the 400 metres at the Norwich Union British Grand Prix at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield on 15 July 2007.^[26] As American Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner stumbled at the start of the race and stopped running, Pistorius took seventh place in a field of eight in wet conditions with a time of 47.65 seconds. However, he was later disqualified for running outside his lane. The race was won by American Angelo Taylor with a time of 45.25 seconds.^[27][28] Pistorius has ambitions of competing in other able-bodied events. In particular, he had set his sights on competing at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China,^[29] but was ultimately not selected by the South African Olympic Committee (see below).

Pistorius's autobiography, Dream Runner, was published in Italian in 2008 by Gianni Merlo, a journalist with La Gazzetta dello Sport.^[30] An English version entitled Blade Runner was released in 2009.^[31]

Dispute over prosthetics[link]

The South African newspaper The Citizen announcing the IAAF's decision to bar Pistorius from its competitions – photographed in Johannesburg on 16 January 2008.

Pistorius has been the subject of criticism because of claims that his artificial limbs give him an advantage over runners with natural ankles and feet. He runs with J-shaped carbon-fibre prosthetics called the "Cheetah Flex-Foot" manufactured by Icelandic company Ossur.^[11]

On 26 March 2007, the IAAF amended its competition rules to include a ban on the use of "any technical device that incorporates springs, wheels or any other element that provides a user with an advantage over another athlete not using such a device".^[32] It claimed that the amendment was not specifically aimed at Pistorius. To decide if he is running with an unfair advantage, the IAAF monitored his track performances using high-definition cameras to film his race against Italian club runners in Rome on 13 July, and his 400 metres in Sheffield on 15 July 2007,^[14][33] at which he placed last.^[28]

In November 2007, Oscar was invited to take part in a series of scientific tests at the Cologne Sports University under the guidance of Professor of Biomechanics Dr Peter Brüggemann in conjunction with Mr Elio Locatelli, who was responsible with the IAAF of all technical issues. After two days of tests Brüggemann reported on his findings on behalf of the IAAF. The report claimed that Pistorius's limbs used 25% less energy than runners with complete natural legs to run at the same speed, and that they led to less vertical motion combined with 30% less mechanical work for lifting the body.^[34] In December, Brüggemann told Die Welt newspaper that Pistorius "has considerable advantages over athletes without prosthetic limbs who were tested by us. It was more than just a few percentage points. I did not expect it to be so clear."^[35] Based on these findings, on 14 January 2008 the IAAF ruled Pistorius's prostheses ineligible for use in competitions conducted under the IAAF rules, including the 2008 Summer Olympics.^[36] Pistorius called the decision "premature and highly subjective" and pledged to continue fighting for his dream. His manager Peet van Zyl said his appeal would be based on advice from United States experts who had said that the report "did not take enough variables into consideration".^[37]

In February 2008, Pistorius employed the services of law firm Dewey & LeBoeuf to challenge the ruling via an appeal and later that month, travelled to America to take part in a series of further tests carried out at Rice University in Houston by a team of scientists including Hugh Herr, PhD and Rodger Kram, PhD

Pistorius subsequently appealed against the adverse decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, and appeared before the tribunal at the end of April 2008.^[38]

After a two day hearing, on 16 May 2008 the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld Oscar’s appeal and the IAAF council decision was revoked with immediate effect. The CAS panel unanimously determined that Dr. Brüggemann only tested Oscar’s biomechanics at full-speed when he was running in a straight line (unlike a real 400m race), that the report did not consider the disadvantages that Oscar suffers at the start and acceleration phases of the race, that Dr. Brüggemann did not consider disadvantages that Oscar suffers, and that overall there was no evidence that Oscar had any net advantage over able-bodied athletes.^[39] In response to the announcement, Pistorius said: "My focus throughout this appeal has been to ensure that disabled athletes be given the chance to compete and compete fairly with able-bodied athletes. I look forward to continuing my quest to qualify for the Olympics."^[40]

Attempts to qualify for 2008 Summer Olympics[link]

To have a chance of representing South Africa at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing in the individual 400-metre race, Pistorius had to attain the Olympic "A" standard time of 45.55 seconds; the "B" qualifying time of 45.95 seconds if no other athlete from his country achieved the faster time did not apply. Each national athletics federation is permitted to enter three athletes in an event if the "A" standard is met, and only one athlete if the "B" standard is met.^[41] However, he was eligible for selection as a member of the relay squad without qualifying.^[42] His best chance was to try for a time of close to 46 seconds to make the 4 × 400-metre relay team. However, he said: "If I make the team I don't want to be the reserve for the relay, I want to be in the top four. I want to bring something to the race and make the relay stronger." To give him a chance of making the South African Olympic team, selectors delayed naming the team until 17 July.^[43]

On 2 July 2008, Pistorius competed in the 400 metres in the B race of the Notturna International in Milan but was "disappointed"^[43][44] when he failed to achieve the minimum Olympic qualification time, completing the race in fourth place in 47.78 seconds.^[43][45] His performance on 11 July 2008 at the Rome Golden Gala was an improvement of more than a second, though his sixth-place time of 46.62 seconds in the B race was still short of the Olympic qualification time. Nonetheless, he was pleased with his performance, commenting that he felt he could improve on it.^[46]

On 15 July 2008, IAAF general secretary Pierre Weiss commented that the world athletics body preferred that the South African Olympic Committee did not select Pistorius for its 4 × 400 metres relay team "for reasons of safety", saying that Pistorius could cause "serious damage" and risk the physical safety of himself and other athletes if he ran in the main pack of the relay.^[47] Pistorius branded this as the IAAF's "last desperate attempt" to get him not to qualify,^[48] and threatened legal action if the Federation did not confirm that it had no objections to his participation in the relay.^[49] The IAAF responded by issuing a statement saying that Pistorius was welcome to seek qualification for the Olympics and future competitions under IAAF rules: "The IAAF fully respects the recent CAS decision regarding the eligibility of Oscar Pistorius to compete in IAAF competitions, and certainly has no wish to influence the South African Olympic Committee, who has full authority to select a men's 4x400m relay team for the Beijing Olympics."^[50][51]

Despite coming third and running a personal best time of 46.25 seconds at the Spitzen Leichtathletik meeting in Lucerne on 16 July 2008, Pistorius failed in his final opportunity to qualify for the 400 metres at the 2008 Summer Olympics by 0.70 seconds. Athletics South Africa later announced that he would also not be selected for the 4 × 400 metres relay team as four other runners had better times.^[50][52] If Pistorius had been picked, he would have become the first runner with a leg amputation to participate in the Olympic Games.^[53] Asked about the possibility of the IAAF offering him a wild card to take part in the Olympics, Pistorius responded, "I do not believe that I would accept. If I have to take part in the Beijing Games I should do it because I qualified." Instead, he expressed a preference for focusing on getting into the 2012 Summer Olympics in London,^[44] noting that it was a more realistic target as "[s]printers usually reach their peak between 26 and 29. I will be 25 in London and I'll also have two, three years' preparation."^[45]

2008 Summer Paralympics[link]

Pistorius participated in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing in the 100, 200 and 400 metres (T44). On 9 September, in the heats of the 100 metres, he set a Paralympic record with his time of 11.16 seconds.^[54] Later, following a slow start, he rallied to snatch gold from the United States' Jerome Singleton in the 100 metres in a time of 11.17 seconds, 0.03 seconds ahead of the silver medallist.^[55] Four days later, on 13 September, the defending Paralympic champion in the 200 metres sprint^[56] won his second gold in the event in a time of 21.67 seconds,^[57] setting another Paralympic record.^[54] He completed a hat-trick by winning gold in the 400 metres in a world-record time of 47.49 seconds on 16 September,^[58] calling it "a memory that will stay with me for the rest of my life".^[59]

2011 and qualification for 2012 Summer Olympics[link]

Pistorius during the 2011 World Athletics Championships in Daegu.

In January 2011, a slimmer, trimmer Pistorius won three IPC Athletics World titles in New Zealand but was beaten for the first time in seven years in the 100m by American Jerome Singleton.^[60] He subsequently won the T44 400m in 47.28s and the 100m in 11.04s at the BT Paralympic World Cup in May to reassert himself as the world’s leading Paralympic sprinter.^[61]

Pistorius competed across a number of able-bodied races in the summer of 2011 and posted three times under 46 seconds but it was in Lignano, Italy, on 19 July that he set a personal best of 45.07s in the 400m, attaining the World Championships and Olympic Games ‘A’ standard qualification mark.^[62]

On 8 August 2011 it was announced that he had been included in the South African team for the World Championships in Daegu and had been selected for the 400m and the 4 × 400 metre relay squad.

To be selected for the South African team to compete at the Olympic Games in London, Oscar must again run inside the 400m ‘A’ standard of 45.25 seconds between January and June 2012.

In the heats of the 400 metre in the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, Oscar Pistorius ran a 45.39 and qualified for the semi-final. However, in the semi-final, Pistorius ran 46.19 and was eliminated.^[63] Had he run the 45.39 in the semi-final, that time would have qualified him for the final.^[64] In the heats of the 4 × 400m relay, Oscar ran the opening leg as South Africa advanced to the finals with a national record time of 2 minutes, 59.21 seconds. However, Pistorius was excluded from the finals. He still won the silver medal because he ran in the heats. Reflecting on his World Championship debut, Pistorius said: "I really enjoyed the whole experience. I ran my second fastest time ever in the heats and was really pleased to have reached the semi-finals. In the relay I was unbelievably chuffed to have broken the South African record, and hopefully my name will stay on that for a long time to come."^[65]

Medals[link]

Disability sports events[link]

Able-bodied sports events[link]

Time comparisons[link]

The following tables show comparisons between Pistorius's best times at official events and the Olympic and World record winning times as at 20 August 2009 over the same distance:

100 m[link]

200 m[link]

400 m[link]

Other awards and accolades[link]

In 2006, Pistorius was conferred the Order of Ikhamanga in Bronze (OIB) by the President of South Africa for outstanding achievement in sports.^[1] On 9 December 2007, Pistorius was awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award, which is conferred for outstanding courage and achievement in the face of adversity.^[77]

In May 2008, Pistorius made the "2008 TIME 100" – Time magazine's annual list of the world's most influential people – appearing third in the "Heroes & Pioneers" section. Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind person to climb Mount Everest, wrote in an essay that Pistorius was "on the cusp of a paradigm shift in which disability becomes ability, disadvantage becomes advantage. Yet we mustn't lose sight of what makes an athlete great. It's too easy to credit Pistorius' success to technology. Through birth or circumstance, some are given certain gifts, but it's what one does with those gifts, the hours devoted to training, the desire to be the best, that is at the true heart of a champion."^[78]

In February 2012 Pistorius was awarded the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability for 2012.^[79] He is the third South African to receive this award after Ernst van Dyk in 2006 and Natalie du Toit in 2010.

Personal life[link]

Pistorius has distant Italian ancestry – his mother's grandfather was an Italian emigrant to Kenya.^[80][81] He has an elder brother, Carl, and a younger sister, Aimée.^[12][82]

Pistorius is a dedicated supporter of Italian Serie A club Lazio. This is because his best friend is Italian and also a fan of the club.^[81]

In 2008, Pistorius collaborated in the release of a music CD called Olympic Dream. Produced in Italy, it consists of disco remixes of music pieces that Pistorius finds inspirational, and two tracks written for him, "Olympic Dream" and "Run Boy Run", which he provided voiceovers for. Part of the CD's proceeds of sale will go to charity.^[83]

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Davies, Gareth A. [interviewer] (23 May 2007), "My sport: Oscar Pistorius", The Daily Telegraph, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/05/09/somysp09.xml ^{[dead link]}.
• Knight, Tom (11 July 2007]), "Pistorius is no novelty sprinter", The Daily Telegraph (Sport): S12, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/07/11/soaths111.xml ^{[dead link]}.
• "Mr. Oscar "Oz" PISTORIUS", Who's Who of Southern Africa (24.com), http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/Pages/profilefull.aspx?IndID=5404, retrieved 18 May 2007 ^{[dead link]}.
• Oscar Pistorius, Ossur, http://www.ossur.com/?PageID=3364, retrieved 22 March 2008 .
• Oscar Pistorius competitive highlights, Ossur, http://www.ossur.com/?PageID=3364#Highlights, retrieved 8 March 2008 .

Further reading[link]

Articles[link]

• Camporesi, Silvia (14 July 2008), "Oscar Pistorius, Enhancement and Post-humans", Journal of Medical Ethics 34 (9): 639, DOI:10.1136/jme.2008.026674, PMID 18757629 .
• Charlish, Peter; Riley, Stephen (2008), "Should Oscar Run?" (PDF), Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal 18: 929–957, http://shura.shu.ac.uk/681/1/fulltext.pdf .
• Cole, C.L. (February 2009), "Oscar Pistorius's Aftermath", Journal of Sport and Social Issues 1 (1): 3–4, DOI:10.1177/0193723508330751 .
• Edwards, S.D. (2008), "Should Oscar Pistorius be Excluded from the 2008 Olympic Games?", Sport, Ethics and Philosophy 2 (2): 112–125, DOI:10.1080/17511320802221802 .
• Hood, M. (June 2005), "Running against the Wind [Sports Prosthetics]", IEEE Spectrum 42 (6): 13–14, DOI:10.1109/MSPEC.2005.1436991 .
• Jones, Carwyn; Wilson, Cassie (March 2009), "Defining Advantage and Athletic Performance: The Case of Oscar Pistorius", European Journal of Sport Science 9 (2): 125–131, DOI:10.1080/17461390802635483 .
• Kram, R.; Grabowski, A.M.; McGowan, C.P.; Brown, M.B.; McDermott, W.J.; Beale, M.T.; Herr, H.M. (2010), "Counterpoint: Artificial Legs Do Not Make Artificially Fast Running Speeds Possible", Journal of Applied Physiology 108 (4): 1012–1014, DOI:10.1152/japplphysiol.01238.2009a, PMID 20368386 .
• Lechler, Knut; Lilja, Magnus (4 December 2008), "Lower Extremity Leg Amputation: An Advantage in Running?", Sports Technology 1 (4–5): 229–234, DOI:10.1002/jst.57 .
• Lippi, Giuseppe; Mattiuzzi, Camilla (2008), "Pistorius Ineligible for the Olympic Games: The Right Decision", British Journal of Sports Medicine 42 (3): 160–161, DOI:10.1136/bjsm.2008.046730, PMID 18334623 .
• McArdle, David (August 2008), "'Just One of the Challenges of 21st-Century Life': Oscar Pistorius in the Court of Arbitration for Sport" (PDF), SCRIPTed 5 (2): 404–413, DOI:10.2966/scrip.050208.404, http://www.law.ed.ac.uk/ahrc/script-ed/vol5-2/mcardle.pdf .
• Van Hilvoorde, Ivo; Landeweerd, Laurens (2008), "Disability or Extraordinary Talent – Francesco Lentini (Three Legs) versus Oscar Pistorius (No Legs)", Sport, Ethics and Philosophy 2 (2): 97–111, DOI:10.1080/17511320802221778 .
• Swartz, Leslie; Watermeyer, Brian (2008), "Cyborg Anxiety: Oscar Pistorius and the Boundaries of what it Means to be Human", Disability and Society 23 (2): 187–190, DOI:10.1080/09687590701841232 .
• Weyand, Peter G.; Bundle, M.W.; McGowan, C.P.; Grabowski, A.; Brown, M.B.; Kram, R.; Herr, H. (18 June 2009), "The Fastest Runner on Artificial Legs: Different Limbs, Similar Function?" (PDF), Journal of Applied Physiology 107 (3): 903–911, DOI:10.1152/japplphysiol.00174.2009, PMID 19541739, http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/reprint/00174.2009v1 .
• Wolbring, Gregor (2008), "Oscar Pistorius and the Future Nature of Olympic, Paralympic and other Sports" (PDF), SCRIPTed 5 (1): 139–160, DOI:10.2966/scrip.050108.139, http://www.law.ed.ac.uk/ahrc/script-ed/vol5-1/wolbring.pdf .

News reports[link]

• Balding, Clare (5 May 2005), "Disabled star runs into speed trap", The Observer (London), http://observer.guardian.co.uk/sport/story/0,,1484189,00.html .
• Knight, Tom (14 July 2007), "Examiners probe the Blade Runner", The Daily Telegraph (London), http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/07/14/soaths214.xml ^{[dead link]}.
• Hart, Simon (15 July 2007), "Oscar Pistorius fired up for the 400", The Daily Telegraph (London), http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2007/07/15/sohart115.xml ^{[dead link]}.
• Buckley, Will (15 July 2007), "Pistorius runs spring-heeled into a court case waiting to happen", The Guardian (London), http://observer.guardian.co.uk/sport/story/0,,2126684,00.html .
• Phillips, Michael (16 July 2007), "Furious Pistorius Blade Runner slams IAAF", The Guardian (London), http://sport.guardian.co.uk/athletics/story/0,,2127322,00.html .
• Phillips, Michael (16 July 2007), "Pistorius leaves crowd wondering what fuss was about", The Guardian (London), http://sport.guardian.co.uk/athletics/story/0,,2127323,00.html .
• Tucker, Ross (17 July 2007), Analysis of Oscar Pistorius' Rome debut race, The Science of Sport, http://scienceofsport.blogspot.com/2007/07/oscar-pistorius-debut-scientific-facts_17.html, retrieved 15 January 2008 .
• Caple, Jim (2 July 2008), No easy answer to question that won't be going away any time soon, ESPN, http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/trackandfield/columns/story?columnist=caple_jim&id=3470827 .
• Davies, Gareth A. (2 July 2008), "Olympics: Oscar Pistorius has spring in step", The Daily Telegraph (London), http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=A1YourView&xml=/sport/2008/07/02/sbosca102.xml ^{[dead link]}.
• Pachal, Peter (7 August 2008), SHIFT: Why the Olympics should say no to cyborgs like Oscar Pistorius, Dvice, http://dvice.com/archives/2008/08/shift_why_the_o.php, retrieved 22 August 2008 .
• Hart, Simon (9 September 2008), "Oscar Pistorius tramples over notions of equality in Beijing", The Daily Telegraph (London), http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/paralympicsport/2707170/Oscar-Pistorius-tramples-over-notions-of-equality-in-Beijing---Paralympics.html .
• Garside, Kevin (28 August 2010), "Tough of the track puts the Games on an equal footing: Oscar Pistorius is determined to carry the Paralympic standard on to the Olympic stage", The Daily Telegraph (Sport) (London): 4–5 .
• Armour, Nancy (10 August 2011), "No reason 'Blade Runner' shouldn't race at worlds", Sports Illustrated (New York), http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/track_field/wires/08/10/2080.ap.ath.nancy.armour.081011.0993/ .
• Rowbottom, Mike (16 August 2011), "Key scientist in Pistorius case insists he is running on level playing field", Inside the Games (London), http://www.insidethegames.biz/sports/summer/athletics/13927-key-scientist-in-pistorius-case-insists-he-is-running-on-level-playing-field .
• McEvoy, Jonathan (22 August 2011), "Blade stunner! Amazing double amputee Pistorius rewrites Olympic history", The Daily Mail (London), http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-2017069/Oscar-Pistorius-Amazing-double-amputee-rewrites-Olympic-history.html?ito=feeds-newsxml .
• Vox, Ford (28 August 2011), Why Oscar Pistorius deserves to run, New York: CNN, http://edition.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/08/27/vox.pistorius.compete/ .
• Michael Sokolove (18 January 2012). "The Fast Life of Oscar Pistorius". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/magazine/oscar-pistorius.html. 

Books[link]

• Pistorius, Oscar; Servadio-Kenan, Rebecca, transl. (2009), Blade Runner, London: Virgin Books, ISBN 978-0-7535-1939-4 .
• Pistorius, Oscar; Merlo, Gianni (2008), Dream Runner: In Corsa per un Sogno [In the Race for a Dream], [S.l.]: Rizzoli  (in Italian).
• Pistorius, Oscar; Lochner, Tossie, trans. (2009), Oscar: Die verhaal van Oscar Pistorius, Roggebaai: Umuzi, ISBN 978-1-4152-0068-1  (in Afrikaans).

External links[link]

• Official website of Oscar Pistorius
• Official website of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF)
• Official website of the International Paralympic Committee

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Verena Bentele	Laureus World Sportsperson with a Disability of the Year 2012	Succeeded by Incumbent

Mario Balotelli

Balotelli playing for Inter in 2009.
Personal information
Full name	Mario Barwuah Balotelli[1]
Date of birth	(1990-08-12) 12 August 1990 (age 21)[2]
Place of birth	Palermo, Italy
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[3]
Playing position	Striker[2]
Club information
Current club	Manchester City
Number	45
Youth career
2001–2005	Lumezzane
2006–2007	Internazionale
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2005–2006	Lumezzane	2	(0)
2007–2010	Internazionale	59	(20)
2010–	Manchester City	40	(19)
National team‡
2008–2010	Italy U21	16	(6)
2010–	Italy	8	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13 May 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 1 June 2012

Mario Barwuah Balotelli (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmaːrjo baloˈtɛlli]; born 12 August 1990) is an Italian footballer of Ghanaian descent who plays as a striker for Manchester City and the Italian national team.^[4][5] He started his professional football career at Lumezzane and played for the first team twice before having an unsuccessful trial at FC Barcelona,^[6] and subsequently joining Internazionale in 2007. Inter manager Roberto Mancini brought Balotelli into the first team, but when Mancini left, Balotelli's disciplinary record fell away. He had a strained relationship with new head coach José Mourinho and was suspended from Inter's first team in January 2009 after a number of disciplinary problems.

His problems deepened in March 2010 when he came under heavy criticism by Inter fans after he appeared on the Italian TV show Striscia la notizia, wearing an A.C. Milan jersey. This damaged the prospect of him having a long career at Inter, but he did make several appearances after that. With doubts over his career at Inter, former coach Roberto Mancini at Manchester City gave Balotelli a fresh chance at a new club. He joined Manchester City in August 2010, where his performances and off-field activities have continued to be controversial and enigmatic. Balotelli earned his first cap for the Italian national team on 10 August 2010, in a friendly match against the Côte d'Ivoire thus making him the first black player to play for the Italian national football team.

Early life[link]

Mario Balotelli was born in Palermo, Sicily, to Ghanaian immigrants Thomas and Rose Barwuah. The family moved to Bagnolo Mella in the province of Brescia, Lombardy, shortly after he was born.^[7] As an infant, he had life-threatening complications with his intestines which led to a series of operations, although his condition had improved by 1992. Mario's health problems and the family's cramped living conditions meant the Barwuahs decided to ask for the help of social services who recommended that he be fostered.^[7] In 1993, the Barwuah family agreed to entrust the three-year-old boy to Francesco and Silvia Balotelli,^[7] with the legal move formalized by the Court of Brescia.^[8] When Mario Balotelli became famous, his biological parents asked for his return. He later accused them of "glory hunting", stating that they only wanted him back because of the prominence he had gained.^[9] According to Law 91 of 5 February 1992,^[10] Balotelli had to wait until his 18th birthday to request Italian citizenship, as the Balotellis had not adopted him, and he officially gained citizenship on 13 August 2008.^[11]

He has three biological siblings, Abigail, Enoch and Angel. ^[12] Enoch Barwuah, two years his junior, had a trial at English Premier League side Stoke City in December 2011.^[13]

Club career[link]

Lumezzane[link]

Balotelli began his career with Lumezzane. At the age of 15 he was promoted to the first team, making his first team debut in a Serie C1 league match against Padova.^[14]

Internazionale[link]

Having had an unsuccessful trial with FC Barcelona at the age of 15,^[15] Balotelli was signed by F.C. Internazionale Milano in 2006 on loan with a pre-set price of €150,000 to co-own the player.^[16] In June 2007 Inter excised the option and purchased another half for additional €190,000.^[16] He made his first team and Serie A debut on 16 December 2007 replacing David Suazo in a 2–0 win against Cagliari.^[17] Three days later he featured in the starting lineup in a Coppa Italia match against Reggina, scoring two goals in a 4–1 win.^[18] Balotelli gained national attention after he scored two goals against Juventus in the return leg of the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, being instrumental in a 3–2 away win for Inter.^[19] His first Serie A goal then came in April 2008 in a 2–0 away win against Atalanta.^[20] Inter went on to win the 2007–08 Serie A.^[21] Balotelli was a substitute in the 2008 Supercoppa Italiana final against A.S. Roma. He came on as a replacement for Luís Figo, scoring in the 83rd minute. Inter went on to win the final 6–5 on penalties after the match ended 2–2.

In November 2008 he scored his first Champions League goal in a 3–3 draw against Cypriot side Anorthosis Famagusta, becoming the youngest Inter player (at 18 years and 85 days) to score in the Champions League. This beat the previous record set by Obafemi Martins at 18 years and 145 days.^[22] In April 2009 Balotelli scored Inter's goal in a 1–1 draw with Juventus and was racially abused by Juventus fans throughout the game, including chants such as "Black Italians do not exist". This led to Massimo Moratti saying that he would have pulled the team off the pitch if he had been present.^[23] The racist chants were also condemned by Juventus chairman Giovanni Cobolli Gigli and Juventus were given a one game home-fan ban because of the incident.^[24] Inter won Serie A for the fourth time in a row.^[25]

In his second season with Inter, Balotelli had a number of disciplinary problems, most notably involving head coach José Mourinho who excluded him from the first team in the second half of January 2009. Earlier that season Mourinho had accused Balotelli of showing a lack of effort in training^[26] stating "as far as I'm concerned, a young boy like him cannot allow himself to train less than people like Figo, Córdoba, and Zanetti."^[27] Balotelli continued to be the subject of racist chants throughout the season, becoming the focus of Juventus fans even during games not involving Inter, leading to Juventus being fined twice and the club ultimately punished with a partial stadium closure.^[28]

Balotelli's disciplinary problems, and his difficult relationship with Mourinho, continued in the 2009–10 season. In November Inter drew 1–1 against Roma and Mourinho criticized his players, even going as far as saying that Balotelli "came close to a zero rating".^[29] The young striker again incurred the wrath of Juve (Juventus) fans in the heated Derby d'Italia away encounter with Juventus on 5 December 2009 which Inter lost 2–1. When he was elbowed by Juve midfielder Felipe Melo in the shoulder he fell on the pitch clutching his face and was promptly booked, while Melo was sent off for a second yellow card. The incident sparked a fiery altercation between teammate Thiago Motta and Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.^[30][31] The tension between player and manager reached its peak on the eve of the UEFA Champions League second leg against Chelsea after the young striker was not called-up, following an altercation with Mourinho.^[32] Despite Inter's 1–0 win at Stamford Bridge, London, Balotelli was criticized by several senior players including captain Javier Zanetti^[33] and veteran defender Marco Materazzi as well as his own agent.^[34] In March he came under heavy criticism from fans after he publicly sported an A.C. Milan (Inter's cross-town rivals) jersey on the Italian show Striscia la Notizia.^[35]

Zlatan Ibrahimović with Balotelli

Balotelli released a statement of apology in Inter Milan's official website that read:

After a spell out of the team, Balotelli was recalled for the match against Bologna and he marked his return with a goal in their 3–0 win.^[37] He soon caused controversy again in the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona on 20 April as he threw his jersey on the ground after the final whistle, in response to Inter fans who had booed him for his poor performance.^[38] This led to an attempt by a small group of supporters to physically attack Balotelli after the end of the game. His behaviour brought disapproval from fans, team-mates and football pundits.^[39]

Manchester City[link]

2010–11[link]

After weeks of speculation Inter reached an agreement for Balotelli's transfer to Manchester City on 12 August 2010, for €22 million. for which Inter made a profit of €21.856 million.^[40][41] At Manchester City Balotelli reunited with his former boss, Roberto Mancini.^[42] who said, "his style of play will suit the Premier League, and because he is still so young there is a big chance for him to improve. He is a strong and exciting player, and City fans will enjoy watching him".^[43]

Balotelli (right) with Alex Song in April 2012.

On 19 August 2010 Balotelli came on as a substitute to score in his debut against Politehnica Timişoara in a 1–0 away win in the Europa League.^[44] Unfortunately he injured the lateral meniscus in his right knee in the match and on 8 September he underwent surgery that saw him sidelined until October.^[45] Balotelli eventually made his Premier League debut on 24 October as a substitute in a 3–0 home defeat to Arsenal^[46] and made his full debut on 30 October in a 2–1 away defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers.^[47] Balotelli scored his first and second Premier League goals on 7 November in a 2–0 away win to West Brom.^[48] In the same game Balotelli received a red card for violent conduct as the result of a clash with Youssuf Mulumbu, which his manager Roberto Mancini described as unfair.^[49] Balotelli scored the first two of City's three goals in the 3–0 win over FC Red Bull Salzburg in Manchester City's Europa League group stage match.^[50]

On 21 December 2010 Balotelli won the Golden Boy Award, saying that only one of the past winners was slightly better than he was – Lionel Messi. He also claimed not to know of Arsenal's Jack Wilshere, the player he narrowly beat to the award.^[51] On 28 December 2010 Balotelli scored his first Premier League hat-trick in a 4–0 win over Aston Villa.^[52] Despite this Balotelli still had problems and in March 2011 he was sent off in the second-leg of Manchester City's Europa League tie with Dynamo Kiev.^[53] On 14 May 2011 Balotelli was man of the match in the 2011 FA Cup Final as Manchester City defeated Stoke City 1–0 to win their first trophy in thirty-five years.^[54]

2011–12[link]

Balotelli scored his first goal of the 2011–12 campaign in a 2–0 Carling Cup win against Birmingham City. He followed this up with the opening goal against Everton three days later. On 1 October 2011 he scored his third goal in as many games in a 4–0 win away to Blackburn Rovers. Balotelli scored the opening two goals and forced the dismissal of Jonny Evans as City beat Manchester United 6–1 at Old Trafford on 23 October 2011.^[55] Balotelli made his Champions League debut for Man City on 2 November 2011, in the return match against Villarreal. He scored from the penalty spot on the stroke of half time during the match, scoring his first CL goal for them in the process and his seventh goal overall in the season.^[56] On November 27, Balotelli came on as a 65th minute substitute against Liverpool, and was sent off after receiving two yellow cards.^[57] Balotelli scored using his right shoulder in City's 5–1 win over Norwich on 3 December.^[58] He put City 1–0 up against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge after just two minutes on 12 December, although Chelsea rallied to win 2–1.^[59]

On 22 January 2012, Balotelli came on as a substitute during a match against Tottenham Hotspur. He appeared to stamp on Scott Parker during the match against Tottenham. He was already booked but did not get a second yellow from referee Howard Webb who did not see the incident.^[60] Balotelli subsequently scored his first goal of 2012 , a injury-time penalty which secured a 3–2 win for City.^[61] He was charged for violent conduct for the kick against Scott Parker and was suspended for four matches, three for violent conduct and one for his second sending off.^[60] On 25 February, he scored his 10th league goal of the season in a 3–0 home win against Blackburn Rovers.^[62] He scored again the following game this time in a 2–0 win against Bolton.^[63] On 31 March, Balotelli scored twice as City drew 3–3 at home to Sunderland. However, Balotelli was criticised for his actions in the match, after squabbling with Aleksandar Kolarov over a free kick. Roberto Mancini claimed after the game he had considered substituting Balotelli just five minutes into the match.^[64] On 8 April 2012, Balotelli received his fourth red card, after earning his second yellow card during the match both against Bacary Sagna, during City's 1–0 loss to Arsenal in April 2012, after "a dangerous, chaotic, birdbrain performance".^[65] After the Arsenal match, Mancini appeared to have finally lost his patience with Balotelli, suggesting that Balotelli would not play any part in the remainder of City's season and be sold by the club.^[66] Despite this, Balotelli did make an appearance as a late substitute in the last game of the season, a title-deciding match against Queens Park Rangers. Balotelli provided the assist that allowed Sergio Aguero to score the 94th-minute winner that won City their first league title since 1968.

International career[link]

Balotelli was unable to answer call-ups to the Italian national under-15 and under-17 teams as he was still considered to be a Ghanaian immigrant.^[67]

On 7 August 2007, five days before his 17th birthday, Balotelli received his first senior International call-up for Ghana from their coach Claude Le Roy for a friendly against Senegal at the New Den stadium in London, England, on 21 August 2007.^[68] He declined the offer citing once again his willingness to play for Italy when he became eligible.^[69] He also stated his willingness to represent Italy at international level once he acquired an Italian passport.^[70]

Balotelli and Italy manager Cesare Prandelli (centre) meeting Italian President Giorgio Napolitano (right) in November 2011.

Italy U-21 coach Pierluigi Casiraghi stated his intention to call up Balotelli once he obtained Italian citizenship. On 13 August 2008 Balotelli was finally given Italian citizenship^[71] and Casiraghi called him to join the Italy national under-21 football team "Azzurrini" on 29 August for the matches against Greece and Croatia.^[72] In his debut on 5 September 2008 he scored his first international goal in a 1–1 draw with the Greek U-21's.

Balotelli was named in the final 23-man squad for the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championships and scored the opening goal against the hosts Sweden in the 23rd minute. Barely 15 minutes later he was shown a red card for retaliating against a Swedish midfielder Pontus Wernbloom.^[73]

Balotelli received his first call-up for the Italian senior team, as part of the squad announced by new head coach Cesare Prandelli, for a friendly match against Côte d'Ivoire - the first match after the 2010 World Cup. With the match, he became the first Black player to play with the Italian national team.^[74] On 10 August 2010, two days before his 20th birthday, he made his debut in that match partnering Cassano and Amauri in a 0–1 loss.^[75] On 11 November 2011, Balotelli scored his first senior international goal in a 2–0 win against Poland at Stadion Miejski in Wroclaw, Poland.^[76]

Style of play[link]

Balotelli is credited with pace, a forceful shot and technical ability, but criticised for a petulant attitude.^[77] He is often nicknamed mario the magician because of his skill with the ball and "Super Mario"^[78][79] and can play anywhere along the front line. Balotelli is also a set-piece specialist^{[citation needed]} and is regarded as a promising but difficult young striker.^{[citation needed]}

Personality and reputation[link]

Balotelli has been given a reputation by the media for being a difficult character and taking part in questionable activities. Manchester City supporters have a chant with lyrics referring to his behaviour^[82], while musician Tinchy Stryder recorded a song in Balotelli's honour.^[83]