The 24-year-old double amputee from Johannesburg goes into the Paralympics having competed at the London 2012 Olympic Games where he made the semi-final of the men's 400m individual event and the final of the 4x400m relay.

The four-time Paralympic champion is now looking to add to his gold medal tally at London 2012 as he runs in the T43/44 100m, 200m, 400m and 4x100m relay and is due to open his programme here tomorrow.

Although Pistorius (pictured top, right) will be huge favourite in the 200m and 400m, he admits that his focus on making the 400m at the Olympics has made him more vulnerable in the 100m to the likes Singleton (pictured top, left), who beat the South African in the World Championships in the event last year, and Peacock, who broke the world record earlier this year.

"It is great to have rivals in the sport evolving and you've seen the likes of Jonnie Peacock and Jerome Singleton pop up in the last year," Pistorius said at a press conference here.

"Peacock broke the single-amputee world record and improved by more than half a second.

"You never see that, especially in the 100m, so I've been more than impressed.

"It's important to note that I haven't run a 100m personal best in five years and it's not really my event.

"As Jonnie and those guys focus on the 100, my focus is on the 400, on the complete opposite side of the spectrum when it comes to sprinting.

"I like to see the evolution of the event happening and if that means I'm not at the top of the event but the sport's getting quicker, that's okay with me."

But despite talking up Peacock, Pistorius feels Singleton will still be his biggest threat in the 100m – the glamour event of the London 2012 Paralympics – due to the experience the American has.


"My personal opinion is that experience counts a lot," he said.

"Jerome Singleton is a true professional, a very serious guy who doesn't let competition get the better of him.

"He's going to be just as much of a challenge as anyone.

"He's been one of the only athletes to beat me in six years in the 100 and he's definitely a guy who stands up when it matters."

Pistorius added that with the growing challenge in the 100m, he would be happy with a medal of any colour.

"I'd like to make the top three in the 100 and successfully defend my titles in the 200 and the 400," he said.

"Then, in the 4x100 relay, I believe we have a chance of winning that, although it will be a tough race.

"In Christchurch, at the world championships, we just missed the American world record and I believe we can get that."

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