June 01, 2008	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 26, 1429

EMMELOORD (The Netherlands), May 31: Double amputee Oscar Pistorius, who runs with two carbon-fibre blades attached to his legs, aims to work on his fitness in time for a bid in July to qualify for the Beijing Olympics.But he said a more realistic target was the 2012 Games in London.

Pistorius, who won gold in the 200 metres track event and bronze in the 100 metres at the 2004 Athens Paralympics, needs to clock 45.55 seconds to qualify for the 400 metres event in Beijing.

He aims to do this by competing in a series of paralympic and able-bodied events. His personal best for the 400 metres is 46.33 seconds.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled earlier this month that 21-year old Pistorius could compete in able-bodied events as the carbon-fibre blades do not give him an advantage.

Pistorius’s legs were amputated beneath the knees when he was 11 months old.

“As far as fitness goes, I would say I am now at about 60 or 70 percent where I should be or where I would like to be,” he told reporters on Friday before the Dutch Open games for disabled athletes in Emmeloord in the east of the Netherlands.

It will be the first event he competes in since the CAS ruling.—Reuters