Pistorius to miss 4x400 relay final

LONDON - Agence France-Presse

Nothing has ever come easy for Oscar Pistorius. And certainly not the first Olympic final for the double amputee runner.

A simple 4x400-meter relay heat turned into high drama when South Africa first crashed out of the race with Pistorius waiting for a baton that never arrived in the changeover zone. Almost two hours later, a jury of appeal surprisingly ruled to give Pistorius’s team Lane 9 in today’s final because it could not be blamed for the collision with Kenya.

“Emotional roller coaster!” Pistorius sent in a Twitter post. “Really can’t wait!”

South Africa won a silver medal at last year’s world championships and now has a chance at an Olympic medal.

The South African team never made it to the third section of the 4x400-meter relay in the opening heat after Mogawane crashed, leaving Pistorius no chance to run. When he realized the race was lost, Pistorius raised his hands to his head, and waved his arms down in frustration.

The judges later ruled that Kenya’s Vincent Kiilu had cut across Mogawane, causing the collision and leaving the South African with a dislocated shoulder. At first, Pistorius could not believe they would be added to the final.