Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius smiles as he leaves a press conference in Milan, Italy, yesterday. Pistorius won his appeal to obtain the right to compete for a place in the Beijing Olympics. - AP

GENEVA (AP):

DOUBLE-AMPUTEE sprinter Oscar Pistorius won his appeal yesterday and can compete for a place in the Beijing Olympics.

The Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) ruled that the 21-year-old South African is eligible to race against able-bodied athletes, overturning a ban imposed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

"I am ecstatic," Pistorius said. "When I found out, I cried. It is a battle that has been going on for far too long. It's a great day for sport. I think this day is going to go down in history for the equality of disabled people," he said.

CAS said the unanimous ruling goes into effect immediately.

'Chasing my dreams'

"As you can imagine, I have been struggling to hide my smile for the last half an hour," Pistorius said in Milan, Italy. "I can definitely say the truth has come out. We have the opportunity once again to chase my dream of participating in an Olympics - if not in 2008, then in 2012."

Pistorius must still reach a qualifying time to run in the individual 400 metres at the August 8-24 Beijing Games. However, he can be picked for the South African relay squad without qualifying.

Pistorius appealed to CAS, world sport's highest tribunal, to overturn a January 14 ruling by the IAAF which banned him from competing against able-bodied runners. The IAAF said his carbon-fibre blades gave him a mechanical advantage.