Double-amputee ineligible for Olympics

MONTE CARLO, Monaco, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- The international governing body for track and field ruled in Monaco that a South African double-amputee isn't eligible to run in the Olympics.

The International Association of Athletics Federations ruled that the prosthetic blades Oscar Pistorius, 21, uses to run would give him an unfair advantage over competitors at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

The "cheetah" blades used by Pistorius, who is known as the "blade runner," are considered technical aids under IAAF rules and therefore cannot be used in the Olympics, the body ruled.

The IAAF cited an independent scientific study by Professor Peter Bruggemann at the German Sport University in Cologne that concluded the blades allowed Pistorius to run at the same speed as other runners but with 25 percent less energy expenditure.

Pistorius, who holds records for the 100-, 200- and 400-meter sprints at Paralympic events, was expected to appeal the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.

A congenital condition led to Pistorius's legs being amputated halfway between his knees and ankles when he was 11 months old.