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Time running out for Oscar
2009-06-26 14:30
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Johannesburg - With three weeks remaining in his schedule ahead of the World Athletics Championships, Oscar Pistorius must still find another 1.3 seconds to stand any chance of competing in the individual 400m in Berlin in August.
Pistorius clocked 47.24 seconds in Milan on Thursday night - his second fastest time of the season - but needs to run 45.95 to achieve the minimum requirement 'B'-standard qualification for the one-lap sprint in Berlin.
And even if he wants to qualify for the relay team he needs a marked improvement. As at June 4, Pieter Marx filled 10th place on Athletics South Africa's ranking list with a time of 47.04 seconds.
Pistorius has not yet found top gear this season after suffering minor injuries in a boating accident in February.
The 22-year-old double amputee kicked off his season with gold medals in the 100m (11.13) and 400m (50.28) at the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester, England at the end of May.
And the following weekend he competed in his first able-bodied event of 2009, clocking 47.50 in a one-lap race in Barcelona, Spain.
On June 4 at the Premo Nebiolo meeting in Turin he improved his season's best over 400m to 47.20 and last Saturday he finished third over 200m at the Scottish Athletics Championships in 22.20 after clocking 22.23 in the heats.
But the Blade Runner has only a few weeks left to book his place in the South African team for the global championships.
He set his 46.25 personal best over 400m in Lucerne, Switzerland in July 2008, failing in his bid to qualify for the Beijing Olympics after winning a court case against the IAAF, allowing him to compete in able-bodied events.
And while he returns to Lucerne on July 15 and competes in Velletri, Italy, three days later, the best chance he will probably get to smash his personal best and book his place on the plane to Berlin will come next weekend.
Pistorius will compete - most likely in the 'B' race - at the Golden League meeting in Oslo and will do well to make full use of what promises to be an electrifying atmosphere to set a career best, which he will need even to make the relay team for Berlin.
If not, Pistorius's manager, Peet van Zyl, is hoping for "one or two more" events that have yet to be confirmed in his schedule before the qualification deadline closes.
Another South African one-lap sprinter, Estie Wittstock, fell narrowly short of setting a season's best in Milan.
Wittstock was fifth in 52.36 - only 0.6 seconds shy of the 52.30 she set when winning silver behind Tsholofelo Thipe at the national championships in Stellenbosch in March.
Her best time this year - and her best since 2006 - matches the IAAF 'B' standard but Wittstock needs to cut another 0.8 seconds off her time to achieve the 'A' standard and assure herself a place in the team for Berlin.
Wittstock, 28, set her personal best of 51.48 in Belem, Brazil in May 2004.