Pistorius off to good Olympic start

LONDON - The Associated Press

South Africa's double amputee athlete Oscar Pistorius takes the start of the men's 400m heats. AFP photo

It was only a morning 400-meter heat but Oscar Pistorius took a big step in Olympic history today, becoming the first double amputee runner to compete in the Olympics.
 
In front of another full 80,000-seat stadium for a qualifying session, the South African cut through a mild morning sunshine on his carbon blades to reach the semifinals with a second-place finish after a strong second half to his race.
 
His time of 45.44 seconds was important enough, but didn’t quite match the announcement at the start - "This is Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius" - that marked his entry into the Olympics.