Double amputee Oscar Pistorius, who runs with two carbon-fibre blades attached to his legs, aims to work on his fitness in time for a bid in July to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. But he said a more realistic target was the 2012 Games in London. Pistorius, who won gold in the 200 meters track event and bronze in the 100 meters at the 2004 Athens Paralympics, needs to clock 45.55 seconds to qualify for the 400 meters event in Beijing. He aims to do this by competing in a series of paralympic and able-bodied events. His personal best for the 400 meters is 46.33 seconds. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled earlier this month that 21-year-old Pistorius could compete in able-bodied events as the carbon-fibre blades do not give him an advantage. Pistorius' legs were amputated beneath the knees when he was 11 months old. “As far as fitness goes, I would say I am now at about 60 or 70 percent where I should be or where I would like to be,” he told reporters on Friday before the Dutch Open Games for disabled athletes in Emmeloord in the east of the Netherlands. It will be the first event he competes in since the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling. In the next two weeks, Pistorius will compete in four events to get fitter. “Everybody says how confident are you about qualifying for Beijing? I am not confident but that doesn't change the fact that we are going to grab the opportunity and grab it with both hands,” he said. “I think I can be in decent shape in the next month or in a month-and-a-half.” Pistorius has said he will run in able-bodied races in Milan on July 2 and at the Rome Golden Gala on July 11, where he competed last year. The qualifying deadline for the Aug. 8-21 Games is late July and Pistorius said London was a more likely target. “If we talk about 2012 London, it is a more realistic goal, far more realistic and I am very certain if I don't run into an injury I am definitely going to be there,” he said. – Reuters __
