Blade Runner off the pace

Updated 11.03 Thu Jul 03 2008

Keywords: olympic games, athletics, oscar pistorius, blade runner, olympics, beijing olympics, sport

Oscar Pistorius, the athlete known as Blade Runner, has missed his first chance to qualify for the Olympic Games.

The South African ran 47.78 seconds as he came fourth in the 400 metres B final at a meeting in Milan, but that was more than two seconds slower than the time he needs to compete in Beijing.

"I ran too hard in the first 200 metres and I had no strength in the final straight" - Oscar Pistorius

Pistorius was running for the first time since the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that his carbon-fibre prosthetic limbs do not give him an unfair advantage over able-bodied athletes.

In humid conditions, he tired in the home straight and he has to wait a week for his next chance to beat the qualifying time in Rome.

Pistorius said: "I ran too hard in the first 200 metres and I had no strength in the final straight.

"I have to be realistic about times. I am grateful to have this opportunity from the organisers."