Pistorius says IAAF forced CAS appeal

By Ken Borland

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Double amputee Oscar Pistorius is taking his ban from able-bodied races to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) due to the International Amateur Athletics Federation's (IAAF) refusal to hear an appeal.

"The IAAF told us for the level of appeal we want we might as well go straight to CAS because they won't consider any appeal or second opinions," the South African told Reuters on Thursday.

Pistorius, who holds the Paralympic 100, 200 and 400 metres world records, has competed mostly in able-bodied events in his homeland and twice overseas.

He had hoped to qualify for this year's Beijing Olympics before the IAAF ruled last month his carbon-fibre prosthetics gave him a considerable advantage over able-bodied sprinters and banned him from any sanctioned able-bodied competition.

The decision was based on studies by Professor Gert-Peter Brueggemann in Germany.

"There are several institutions in the United States who have given us a contradictory opinion to Professor Brueggemann," said Pistorius. "It's unfortunate it has come to this because I would have preferred to keep this within the athletics family.

"But if that's the way it has to be then that's the way it has to be. Unfortunately it has to happen this way if we want fairness."

The dispute centres around the amount of energy absorbed and returned by Pistorius's prosthetics which are fitted below his knee.