South African "blade runner" Oscar Pistorius made history as the first double amputee to compete at the Olympics today.
Pistorius, a double-amputee who runs on carbon-fiber blades, circled the oval in 45.44 seconds - good enough for second place in his heat and a berth in the semi-finals Sunday night.
The 25-year-old waged a long fight to run in the Olympics against able-bodied opponents and finally got that chance on a sunny morning in front of a sellout crowd at Olympic Stadium.
Pistorius was born without fibulas and his legs were amputated below the knee before he was a year old.
Pistorius said: "I was so nervous this morning. Thanks to everyone for showing their support. I didn't know whether to cry, I had a mixture of emotions. It was the most amazing experience."
Sadly defending Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt pulled up in his heat after failing to recover fully from injury to defend his title.
Great Britain's Conrad Williams, Martyn Rooney and Nigel Levine all safely made it through to the next round after solid performances.
