The First Time Running Athletes With Disabilities Compete At The Olympics In History Today, August 4, 2012

JAKARTA - Today, August 4, nine years ago, the 2012 London Olympics became a historic moment for Oscar Pistorius. Because this athlete from South Africa (South Africa) became the first disabled participant to compete in the Olympics by running in the men's 400 meter opening round. Pistorius finished second out of five runners and advanced to the semifinals, where he finished eighth out of eight.

Pistorius was born on November 22, 1986, he was born without a bone between his calf and ankle in one of his legs. Until finally when he was 11 months old, Pistorius had to be amputated below the knee.

At that time the doctor advised his parents to amputate Pistorius' leg as early as possible so that Pistorius could adapt more easily and learn to walk better. As an adult, Pistorius wore a prosthetic leg and participated in various sports. He joined the rugby team in high school.

Launching Biography, Pistorius' active competition in Rugby made him injured his knee. He suffered a serious knee injury at the age of 16 and was in danger of quitting the sport.

But Pistorius regained hope after doctors advised him to run as part of his rehabilitation. This is what paved the way for Pistorius to become a professional runner.

In 2004, Pistorius competed at the Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece. Pistorius uses a prosthetic leg made of carbon fiber and has the nickname 'Flex-Foot Cheetah.' He reached the world record in the 200 meter run with a time of 21.97 seconds. He also won bronze in the 100 meters.

Pistorius' relentless ambition then brought him to competition for normal runners. This fascinated fans but also drew scrutiny from those who wondered if she was gaining an unfair advantage from her prosthetic limbs.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAFF), then banned Pistorius from competing in running events for able-bodied athletes. The IAFF felt that Pistorius made use of his prosthetic leg and did not exert much force while running. The IAFF, which carried out scientific tests with Pistorius, claimed that it was unfair to normal athletes who exerted more power over the same distance as him.

Fortunately, the decision was quickly overturned when Pistorius appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. It is agreed that the advantages that runners gain with carbon fiber prosthetics are offset by the difficulties encountered during the initial block and curvy track.

However, the restored eligibility was not enough to help Pistorius fulfill his ambition of competing with normal athletes. Pistorius did not qualify for the 2008 South African Olympic track team. Pistorius competed again in the 2008 Paralympics and won gold medals in the 100, 200 and 400 meters.

In 2011, Pistorius joined the normal athlete relay team and won a silver medal in the 4x400 meter relay at the World Championships Athletics in South Korea. This made him the first Paralympic athlete to win a medal at a World Championship.

In June 2012, Pistorius won silver in the individual 400 meters at the African Athletics Championships in Benin, West Africa. The following month, Pistorius was chosen after a tough competition to represent South Africa in the 400 meters and 4x400 individual relay at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Pistorius made Olympic history on August 4, 2012, finishing second in the five-man preliminary round in the 400 meters, with a time of 45.44 seconds. In the semifinals the next day, Pistorius finished last, with a time of 46.54 seconds, and failed to advance to the final.

On 9 August, he was supposed to run the third leg of the 4x400 relay, but his teammate collided with a runner from Kenya before he could pass the baton to Pistorius. His partner was unable to finish the match.

After filing a protest, South Africa was allowed to compete in the final the next day and finished eighth. At the London Paralympics in September 2012, Pistorius won a gold medal with a record time in the 400 meters and 4x100 relay, and earned a silver medal in the 200 meters.

Pistorius' career waned after he was arrested by the police for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius admitted that he shot his girlfriend dead while he was at his house in Pretoria, South Africa. Pistorius claimed he thought his girlfriend was an intruder. Pistorius was charged with premeditated murder, to which he pleaded not guilty when his case was tried in March 2014, amid intense media coverage.

The court was attended by witnesses who stated that they heard Pistorius and his girlfriend shouting at each other, followed by gunfire. In his defense, Pistorius claimed that he opened fire on the bathroom door and thought an intruder was hiding in the bathroom.

Pistorius was spared the maximum sentence by a sympathetic court. Judge Thokozile Matilda Masipa rebuked him for his negligence with a firearm and found him guilty of killing a person for "evil recklessness." He was given a five-year prison term in October 2014.

The sentence was overturned by the Supreme Court in December 2015 and Pistorius was given an increased sentence. But Judge Masipa ignored the 15-year minimum standard and sentenced him to six years in prison in July 2016.

It took a great deal of effort from South Africa's highest court of appeal to once again intervene and extend Pistorius' sentence. Pistorius' sentence was increased to 13 years and five months in November 2017. Pistorius then appealed, but was unfortunately rejected in April 2018.

Pistorius' sentence will not officially end until 2030, meaning he has about nine years left to languish behind bars. However, Pistorius is likely to be released early and will be eligible for parole in 2023.

*Read other information about TODAY's HISTORY or read other interesting articles from Putri Ainur Islam.