The International Paralympic Committee has revealed that Blade Runner Oscar Pistorius will be allowed to compete at the 2016 Paralympic Games if he is not in jail.
The 27 year old South African athlete was on Friday, September 12, 2014 found guilty of culpable homicide after the judge ruled he killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp by mistake.His sentencing is scheduled for October 13, but Pistorius could compete at Rio if he has served his sentence.
“We wouldn’t stand in his way,” said IPC director of media and communications, Craig Spence.
“If he had served any punishment given to him before Rio then the ball would be in his court,” he added.
Spence said that the organisation’s thoughts were with the family and friends of Steenkamp.
But he said the IPC would not block Pistorius if he had served his sentence and wanted to compete at Rio.
“Providing he serves his sentence then he will be free to compete in IPC competitions going forward,” Spence told BBC chief sports correspondent Dan Roan.
“Oscar would need to decide first whether he wanted to compete and then he would need to be selected by the South African National Paralympic Committee.
Pistorius won six gold medals at three Paralympic Games and made history by becoming the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics.
Steenkamp was a model and law graduate and died in a toilet in Pistorius home after he shot her, mistaking her for an intruder on Valentines’ day 2013.
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