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London Anniversary Games to snub murder accused Oscar Pistorius amid fears event would become a 'media circus'

Super Saturday gold medal winners Jess Ennis, Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford will be taking part at the Olympic Stadium

Staff,Matt Majendie
Tuesday 16 April 2013 15:45 BST
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Oscar Pistorius at the Olympic Stadium during London 2012
Oscar Pistorius at the Olympic Stadium during London 2012

Oscar Pistorius will not be permitted to take part in this summer's athletics event at the Olympic Stadium to mark the anniversary of London 2012 due to fears it would decend into a “media circus”.

The South African was among the faces of the games last summer when the double amputee took part in both the Paralympics and the Olympics.

However, the six-time Paralympic champion is now on a charge of murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot dead at his home in Pretoria on February 14. Pistorius denies the allegation and is on bail but can compete outside of South Africa before he goes on trial.

Yet the Anniversary Games, which will run from July 26-28 with the third day dedicated to Paralympians, will not feature Pistorius report The Evening Standard.

"I don’t want to see the Sunday of the Anniversary Games turning into a media circus,” UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner told BBC Radio 4 today.

“It would overshadow every other athlete that was there. It’s not about innocent or guilty, it’s about how you handle an individual with a difficult moral situation hanging over them.

“Anything might change. He is in court before then but based on what I know at the moment it would be a no if he rang this morning.”

The first two days will be a Diamond League meeting and will see Britain’s three Olympic gold-medal winning athletes return to the scene of their ‘Super Saturday’ triumph.

Heptathlete Jess Ennis, middle distance star Mo Farah and long jump champion Greg Rutherford all captured their titles during an amazing hour at the Olympic Stadium last August.

This time Ennis will compete in the 100m hurdles and long jump, while Farah, who won 2012 gold over 5,000m and 10,000m, will run the 3,000m.

Farah is due to compete in the London Marathon on Sunday but the build-up to the event has been overshadowed by the fatal bombings at the Boston race yesterday. Three people were killed in two simultaneous explosions near the finishing line of the marathon.

Despite the tragedy, Warner insists British athletes remain committed to running on Sunday.

“This type of terrorist outrage is particularly saddening,” said the UK Athletics chief. “It’s a very sad day for our sport. We’ve had no indication that any of the British athletes will pull out.

“I’m very conscious of the work that London Marathon are doing around safety and security. I have complete confidence that race organisers, police and security services.”

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