Oscar Pistorius

Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius is a South African sprint runner. Although both of Pistorius' legs were amputated below the knee when he was 11 months old, he competes in events for single below-knee amputees and for able-bodied athletes.

Oscar Pistorius, the double amputee who dazzled the world with his sprinting in the 2012 Olympics, was sentenced to 5 years in prison by a South African judge on Tuesday morning, bringing to a close a trial that has captivated world audiences in a way unseen since the trial of O.J. Simpson.

Pistorius was convicted on Sept. 12 of culpable homicide for killing his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day 2013 by shooting her through a bathroom door in his Pretoria home. Known as the Bladerunner for the high-tech prosthetic legs which helped propel him, was a battle of competing narratives to the end.

The prosecution produced a chilling portrayal of Pistorius. To them, he was a gun fanatic driven by ego, who, in a fit of rage, killed Steenkamp.

To the defense, however, Pistorius was a man trapped by disability who, in a moment of vulnerability and fear with his prosthetics removed, shot his girlfriend dead after he mistook her for an intruder.

The trial, which began on March 3, consumed weeks of testimony, with Pistorius often breaking down and weeping or vomiting.

Surce: The Washington Post

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