JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius has boosted his hopes of competing at the 2012 London Olympics after clocking a personal best of 45.61 seconds over 400 meters.
The time is inside the “B” qualifying standard for the 2012 Games and this year’s world championships.
Pistorius said Thursday he was “delighted” after setting the time at South Africa’s Provincial Championships in Pretoria on Wednesday, adding it had taken him “a step closer” to the Olympics.
The South African said his main goal for 2011 was to qualify for the world championships in Daegu, South Korea, before focusing on running at the Olympics and Paralympics next year.
The 24-year-old Pistorius said of the 2012 Olympics: “I need to put my head down and push for it.”
