Athletics
Oscar vows to work harder
2011-08-29 17:00
Daegu - Oscar Pistorius admits he has a lot of work to do, after realising his dream of competing at the IAAF World Championships, as he turns his focus towards next year’s London Olympic Games.
The Blade Runner finished eighth in his semi-final of the men’s 400 metres on an otherwise superb third day for the South African athletics team at the global championships in Daegu, South Korea, on Monday.
“Being one of the many athletes that's been able to come out here has been a huge blessing,” Pistorius said.
“I think I’m a realist, and for me to make the final I would need to be running times that I have never done.
“I’ve got a lot of work I still need to do and challenge is a thing that we need.”
Pistorius, who made history when he set his second fastest time in the heats of his first global able-bodied competition, started slowly in the penultimate round and never recovered, trailing home in 46.19 seconds.
He said he would continue to use his performances on the track to silence his critics, with some sports scientists insisting he holds an advantage over able-bodied athletes.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport cleared Pistorius two years ago to compete with his carbon-fibre blades.
“It’s important for me to be running fair in my sport,” he said.
“I believe I’ve done that and would not be in the sport if I felt otherwise.
“I understand that there will always be critics and it's a topic that is interesting and people will talk about.
“My job is to produce and train every day and stay consistent.”