ATHLETICS South Africa have congratulated double amputee Oscar Pistorius for finally realising his dream of qualifying for the World Championships and Olympics.
This was after "The Blade Runner" qualified for next month's World Championships by smashing his 400m personal best in Lignano, Italy, on Tuesday.
Pistorius, who runs with carbon fibre prosthetic running blades, clocked 45,07 seconds, which enabled him to qualify for both the championships and 2012 London Olympics.
ASA board member Hendrick Ramaala said: "For us it's always great to see our athletes qualify for major competitions despite limited financial resources.
"We are happy for Oscar, he has been trying for some time to qualify for both the World Championships and Olympics and now it has happened.
"We hope to see other athletes who are currently competing in Europe to qualify. Our aim is to better the three medals we won at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin."
Pistorius said yesterday: "I could not sleep after the race, everybody was sending me congratulatory messages, which I appreciate. That was a dream race, I will now start preparing myself for both the World Championships and London Olympics.
"I'm humbled by the support," said Pistorius, who will be the first amputee to take part in the championships, starting in Daegu, South Korea, on August 27.
A multiple Paralympic gold medallist, he had sought for years to compete in the worlds and Olympics.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport gave him a chance in 2008 when it ruled in his favour after a legal battle with the International Association of Athletics Federations over the use of his running blades.
But after the CAS decision, he failed to record a time inside the Olympic qualifying mark.
On Tuesday, those disappointments were forgotten when he booked his place at the worlds and London Olympics with one final composed surge.
We're proud of you, Oscar
ATHLETICS South Africa have congratulated double amputee Oscar Pistorius for finally realising his dream of qualifying for the World Championships and Olympics.
This was after "The Blade Runner" qualified for next month's World Championships by smashing his 400m personal best in Lignano, Italy, on Tuesday.
Pistorius, who runs with carbon fibre prosthetic running blades, clocked 45,07 seconds, which enabled him to qualify for both the championships and 2012 London Olympics.
ASA board member Hendrick Ramaala said: "For us it's always great to see our athletes qualify for major competitions despite limited financial resources.
"We are happy for Oscar, he has been trying for some time to qualify for both the World Championships and Olympics and now it has happened.
"We hope to see other athletes who are currently competing in Europe to qualify. Our aim is to better the three medals we won at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin."
Pistorius said yesterday: "I could not sleep after the race, everybody was sending me congratulatory messages, which I appreciate. That was a dream race, I will now start preparing myself for both the World Championships and London Olympics.
"I'm humbled by the support," said Pistorius, who will be the first amputee to take part in the championships, starting in Daegu, South Korea, on August 27.
A multiple Paralympic gold medallist, he had sought for years to compete in the worlds and Olympics.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport gave him a chance in 2008 when it ruled in his favour after a legal battle with the International Association of Athletics Federations over the use of his running blades.
But after the CAS decision, he failed to record a time inside the Olympic qualifying mark.
On Tuesday, those disappointments were forgotten when he booked his place at the worlds and London Olympics with one final composed surge.