Fury of the 'Blade Runner': Oscar Pistorius loses 200m race at the Paralympics | Mail Online
- South African athlete came second in the T44 200m event in the Olympic Stadium in London
- Claims Brazilian champion Alan Oliveira has an advantage because his prosthetic blades are longer, giving him a greater stride length
- Shock result stuns 80,000 spectators into silence
- Apologises for timing of his post-race outburst but repeats complaint
'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius has said sorry for the timing of his controversial outburst about the running blades used by T44 200 metres gold medallist Alan Fonteles Oliveira in the aftermath of the South African athlete's shock loss.
Pistorius hit out at the International Paralympic Committee for failing to act over the length of some athletes' blades after Oliveira, wearing noticeably longer ones, came from way back Sunday night to pip him at the line.
The Brazilian took gold in 21.45 seconds, leaving Pistorius to settle for silver, coming home in 21.52 seconds with stunned quiet from the 80,000 spectators greeting the result.
Bitter: Oscar Pistorius claimed opponents used longer 'blades' for unfair advantage
Upset: Brazil's Alan Oliveira (left) celebrates in front of South Africa's Oscar Pistorius (right) after claiming a shock victory in the 200m race
Dispute: Alan Oliveira of Brazil (left) crosses the line ahead of pre-race favourite Oscar Pistorius of South Africa (right) to win gold in the Men's 200m - T44 final. Pistorius claimed his rival had an unfair advantage
Pistorius in a post-race interview with Channel 4 he was at a disadvantage because the carbon fibre prosthetic blades he uses to run are shorter than some of his competitors.
He complained that athletes with longer blades are 'coming from nowhere to run ridiculous times' because their stride lengths are greater.
Pistorius said the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) did not 'want to listen' to his concerns, adding: 'The guys' legs are unbelievably long.
'Not taking away from Alan's performance, he's a great athlete, but these guys are a lot taller and you can't compete [with the] stride length.
'You saw how far he came back. We aren't racing a fair race. I gave it my best.'
Close contest: Race winner Alan Oliveira (left) wore longer prosthetic blades than Oscar Pistorius (right), giving him a greater stride length
Disappointment: South Africa's Oscar Pistorius looks dejected after finishing second in the race
Rivalry: Alan Oliveira finished seven hundredths of a second before the pre-race favourite, Oscar Pistorius
The athlete released a further statement today, but while he said he regretted the timing of his comments he did not back down over his concerns.
He said: 'I would never want to detract from another athletes' moment of triumph and I want to apologise for the timing of my comments after yesterday's race.
'I do believe that there is an issue here and I welcome the opportunity to discuss with the IPC but I accept that raising these concerns immediately as I stepped off the track was wrong.
'That was Alan's moment and I would like to put on record the respect I have for him.
'I am a proud Paralympian and believe in the fairness of sport. I am happy to work with the IPC who obviously share these aims."
Pistorius's qualifying effort had created a buzz when he set a new world record time of 21.30secs - a personal best which even he admitted had taken him by surprise.
He was born without the fibula - the bone running along the outside of the leg from below the knee joint and down to the ankle - in each of his legs.
His parents, Henk and Sheila, made the difficult decision to have his legs amputated below the knee.
Six months later he received his first pair of prosthetic legs and within days he had mastered them.
Six months later he received his first pair of prosthetic legs and within days he had mastered them.
Triumphant: Oliveira embarks on a victory lap after winning gold at the Paralympics
He is now one of the most well-known Paralympians in the world.
The gold medallist, who transcends sport, is in the centre of a movement helping to transform attitudes towards disabilities.
A self-proclaimed 'proud Paralympian' he said he believes that the London 2012 Paralympic Games will be a high watermark for the Paralympic movement.
After the heats yesterday he hailed the atmosphere in the stadium, claiming it was as good as it had been for the Olympics.
The only man to compete in both added: 'The crowd is exactly the same, as passionate, as exciting.
'It feels like you might as well be running in the Olympics. It's mind-blowing.'
Handshake: Pistorius congratulated Alan Oliveira on his gold-winning performance, but claimed that athletes with longer blades had an unfair advantage
Head to head: Alan Oliveira's longer blades made him taller than Pistorius, which the South African said gave him an advantage in the race
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2197301/Fury-Blade-Runner-Oscar-Pistorius-loses-200m-race-Paralympics.html#ixzz25PFxvtkD
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