JOHANNESBURG (AFP) — South African paralympian Oscar Pistorius said Saturday that he cried after hearing he had won a landmark appeal to compete against able-bodies athletes for a place in the Beijing Olympics.
"I was just blown away when I found out," he told South Africa's Star newspaper.
"When they told me, I cried. It is a battle that has been going on for far too long. It's a great day for sport.
"I think this day is going to go down in history for the equality of disabled people," he continued.
The 21-year-old, who runs on specially-adapted carbon fibre blades after having his legs amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old, saw a ban imposed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Friday.
The 400m runner had been barred from all competitions involving able-bodied athletes because of claims that the artificial legs he uses give him an unfair advantage.
He has vowed to pursue his dream to qualify for the Olympic Games.
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