You're in the Olympics - Summer Games section

Pistorius to remain in jail

- The Sports Network

Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013 | 05:53 AM

tool name

close
tool goes here
0 comments

South African Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius will remain in jail until his next court appearance on Tuesday after prosecutors said Friday they intend to pursue a premeditated murder charge following the killing of the runner's girlfriend on Thursday.

Reeva Steenkamp was shot and killed early Thursday morning at Pistorius' home.

According to the Pretoria News, Pistorius broke down in court after hearing the prosecution's intention to charge him with premeditated murder. The court ordered a postponement of proceedings until next Tuesday.

Police have offered few details surrounding the shooting, leaving much speculation.

Initial reports had indicated that Pistorius might have mistaken Steenkamp for an intruder, but police on Thursday would not confirm those reports and said the investigation was ongoing.

According to Beeld newspaper, Steenkamp was shot four times -- once each in the head, chest, pelvis and hand. The paper also cited a neighbor as saying Steenkamp's body was found in a bathroom.

Steenkamp, a model who was 30 years old, and Pistorius had reportedly been dating for about a year.

Pistorius, known as the "Blade Runner," made history at the London Olympics last year when he became the first double-amputee runner to compete in the Games.

The 26-year-old Pistorius had both legs amputated before he was a year old after being born without fibula bones and runs on prosthetic blades.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) had initially said that his prosthetics were considered technical aids and in violation of an IAAF rule. But the Court of Arbitration for Sport later overturned that decision, making him eligible to compete against able-bodied runners.

Pistorius qualified for South Africa's Olympic team in 2012 and competed in the 400-meter race, reaching the semifinals, and the 1,600-meter relay.


Similar stories:

The Bee's story-comment system is provided by Disqus. To read more about it, see our Disqus FAQ page. If you post comments, please be respectful of other readers. Your comments may be removed and you may be blocked from commenting if you violate our terms of service. Comments flagged by the system as potentially abusive will not appear until approved by a moderator.

more videos »
Visit our video index