Oscar on Time 100 most influential list

20 April 2012

South African athlete Oscar Pistorius, the first amputee to win a medal at an able-bodied World Championship, has been named in Time Magazine’s latest list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

This year’s Time article says of the people on the list: “They are the people who inspire us, entertain us, challenge us, and change our world.”

Time managing editor Richard Stengel has said of the list, now in its ninth year: “The Time 100 is not a list of the most powerful people in the world, it’s not a list of the smartest people in the world, it’s a list of the most influential people in the world.

“They’re scientists, they’re thinkers, they’re philosophers, they’re leaders, they’re icons, they’re artists, they’re visionaries – people who are using their ideas, their visions, their actions to transform the world and have an effect on a multitude of people.”

History maker

Pistorius made history at the IAAF World Championships in 2011 when he became the first amputee to win a track medal in the 4 by 400 metres relay. He has since run inside the required A-qualifying standard for the Olympic Games, but needs to achieve that mark once more to secure his place at London 2012.

In February, his achievements were recognised by the Laureus Sports Awards when he received the Laureus World Sportsperson with a Disability Award.

“The Blade Runner” is listed in a section titled “Icons” in the Time Magazine list.

‘Global inspiration’

Time sports columnist Sean Gregory writes of him: “What’s possible in athletics? Oscar Pistorius, the double-amputee sprinter from South Africa, and his effort to compete against able-bodied runners in the 400m and 4x400m sprint events at the 2012 London Olympics, make the answer clear: absolutely anything.

Pistorius said on his website: “There are some incredible names on the list from around the world, including political figures and music and film heroes, and it is a great privilege for me to have been included amongst such names.

“2012 will be one of the highlights of my career as I aim for qualification at the London Olympic and Paralympic Games, and I would like to thank Time and its readers for their support on my journey.”