Pistorius fails to make the final but achieves his goal

Oscar Pistorius shakes hands with Jonathan Borlee from Belgium after the race (YONHAP/EPA)

Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius reached his goal, even though he failed to secure a spot in the 400m final at the World Championships in South Korea.

The South African ran in the semi-finals against able-bodied athletes yesterday at Daegu Stadium, but he finished last in 46.19sec. "I would have liked to perform better tonight," he said. "My goal was to make the semi-final and I did it. It was a great opportunity and I've learned a lot from the experience."

Pistorius had his legs amputated when he was a baby and runs on carbon-fibre blades. He was competing against able-bodied athletes at a major championships for the first time. He was originally banned from competing in major championships, but was cleared to do so in 2008.