South African Oscar Pistorius was born with congenital absence of the fibula, meaning he lacked the crucial calf bone altogether, and at 11 months old, doctors amputated both his legs below the knees. But equipped with carbon fiber blades as prosthetics, Pistorius, also known as “Blade Runner” or “the fastest man on no legs,” has grown into a world-class track star. Last year, he made history when he qualified for the world championships and took silver in the 4x400-meter relay. This year, he’s got his sights set on an Olympic medal.
Pistorius was chosen to run in the 4x400 relay, making him the first amputee to compete in the Olympic Games. Then, earlier this month, the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee agreed to let Pistorius run the individual 400-meter race as well, despite the fact that he missed the country's qualifying time for the individual race by 0.22 ...
