JOIN USOscar Pistorius ended last in his semifinal heat of the men’s 400M but the famed Blade Runner had a surprise gift awaiting him at the finish line.
The double amputee, who made history just by competing here, was greeted by Kirani James, the world champion from Granada, who then went on to exchange bib numbers with the South African.
It was a touching gesture from the world champion, acknowledging the tremendous efforts put in by Pistorius to compete in his first Olympics.
“He is an inspiration to all of us. He is very special to our sport,” said James. “He is a down to earth guy and a great individual. He is someone I respect. It takes a lot of courage and confidence to do what he has done today. Hats off to him.”
Pistorius himself was overwhelmed by the reception from the fans. “It’s really humbling to know how much support I have. Just standing here in the starting blocks, hearing the crowd, I was just standing, smiling, getting cramps in my cheeks. It is just an unbelievable experience,” he said, after clocking 46.54 as against his best of 45.07.
Pistorius said he didn’t come here to prove a point. “I just came to do the best that I can possibly do. I would have loved to run a little better, but I couldn’t find my rhythm,” said Pistorius, who will run the 4x400 relay now.