Amputee Oscar Pistorius to be in Olympics

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PRETORIA, South Africa, July 4 (UPI) -- Oscar Pistorius of South Africa, who runs on two artificial legs, will represent his country at this summer's London Olympics.

Pistorius will be the first athlete to compete in both the Summer Olympics and Paralympics, Sports Net reported. He was selected as a member of the 4X400 relay team and a competitor in the 400 meters.

"Today is truly one of the proudest days of my life," Pistorius said in a statement. "To have been selected to represent Team South Africa at the London 2012 Olympic Games in the individual 400 meters and the 4x400-meter relay is a real honor and I am so pleased that years of hard work, determination and sacrifice have all come together."

Pistorius, 25, was born with a congenital condition that left him without the fibula or calf bone in both legs. His legs were amputated in childhood.

A sports star since his school days, Pistorius has been dogged by arguments that his prosthetics actually give him an unfair advantage over other athletes.