July 01, 2007	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Sani 15, 1428

DURBAN, June 30: Double-amputee Oscar Pistorius is set to take on world and Olympic 400 metres champion Jeremy Wariner at an IAAF meeting in Sheffield, England, on July 15.

“Ninety percent of my races have been against able-bodied athletes,” Pistorius said from his home in Pretoria on Friday.

“They've all been in local meetings, but I've been happy with the results.”

South African Pistorius, 20, was born without fibulae and had both legs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old.

He runs with specially manufactured carbon-fibre blades fitted to his legs and holds the double amputee world record in the 100 metres, 200 metres and 400 metres.

Pistorius has a personal best of 46.34 seconds in the 400 metres and has set himself the goal of competing in Olympics.

The world record stands at 43.18. Wariner's best time this year is 44.02.

The International Association of Athletics Federations will monitor the Sheffield race to help it decide whether the specialised equipment gives Pistorius an advantage.

Pistorius said his success against similarly equipped opponents was an indication that he did not gain undue assistance.

“If my blades are helping me unfairly, then why aren't they giving the rest of the 70 percent of disabled athletes who use the same equipment the same advantage,” he said.

Pistorius has recently returned from “six days of media” in the United States during which his story was splashed across major television networks.

He leaves on Sunday to compete in meetings in Iceland and Italy in addition to Sheffield.—Reuters