Track officials will allow Pistorius to run in able-bodied events...

From ESPN:

International track officials changed their stance on champion amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius and will allow him to compete against able-bodied runners while researchers try to determine whether his prosthetics give him an advantage.

But Nick Davies, spokesman for the International Association of Athletics Federations, said discussion of Pistorius competing in the Olympics was premature, noting the 20-year-old had not yet run times that would allow him to qualify.

Pistorius was born without fibulas -- the long, thin outer bone between the knee and ankle -- and was 11 months old when his legs were amputated below the knee.

Pistorius has clocked 10.91 seconds in the 100 meters, 21.58 seconds in the 200 and 46.56 seconds in the 400 -- world record times for disabled athletes. He finished second in the 400 meters at the South African Championships -- an able-bodied meet -- in March.

Pistorius' times wouldn't qualify him for the Olympics, but he's close in the 400. He needs to run a 46.3 before the July 2008 qualifying deadline.

How awesome would that be to see this guy competing in the 2008 or 2012 Olympics?! Not the Paralympics but the Olympics! This news puts him one step closer. Photo is from Wired.