Amputee Racer Fails to Qualify for Olympics

Jamaican jumped the gun, while Pistorius advances in men's 400 meter

(NEWSER) - The fastest man on the planet was disqualified today from the event he's dominated for three years, while the most unlikely runner on the planet advanced to the semis at today's track world championships. Usain Bolt's false start in the men's 100-meter final automatically booted him from the race under the sport's no-tolerance rule, giving fellow Jamaican Yohan Blake the win. "He's human, isn't he? I always knew he was human," Bolt's coach tells the AP . "He will pick himself up. He's a champion." More»

'Bladerunner' Oscar Pistorius headed to world championships

(AP) - Double amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius achieved a career goal by qualifying for the world championships yesterday, fulfilling a five-year-long quest to compete at the highest level against able-bodied athletes. Pistorius said his achievement still felt "weird" and "surreal" and hadn't sunk in yet; he clocked 45.07 seconds last night in his final 400-meter race before the qualifying cutoff, having never run faster than 45.61 before. More»

(NEWSER) - World champion sprinter Caster Semenya received a heroine's welcome today in Johannesburg, where thousands of South Africans waved signs reading "Our first lady of sport" and "100% female woman." The 18-year-old runner, caught up in suspicions about her gender, had a huge smile as spectators sang and danced around her and her teammates. Her arrival has sparked a media frenzy: the party was broadcast live on TV, and one newspaper ran a wraparound souvenir poster. More»

South African who sued for right to compete in Olympics takes 100 meters; more to come

(AP) - One gold medal down and two to go for sprinter Oscar Pistorius at the Beijing Paralympics. Despite a slow start on a wet track, the South African won the most difficult of his three races, taking gold today in the 100 meters in 11.17 seconds. Jerome Singleton was second at 11.20, and fellow American Brian Frasure earned bronze in 11.50. More»

Amputee not selected for relay team

(AP) - Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius was not chosen today to be on South Africa's Olympic team for Beijing. After failing to qualify for the 400 meters earlier, Pistorius was left off the 1,600-meter relay team, the AP reports. Four other South Africans had faster times, and two others were chosen as alternates. More»