Pistorius to hear fate inside three weeks

South African double amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius should know within three weeks if he can compete at the Beijing Olympics, an official for the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said.

Pistorius, 21, runs with carbon fibre blades attached to both legs below the knees. He has appealed to CAS against a ruling by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) barring him from competing at the August Games.

The IAAF ruled in January that Pistorius could not compete against able-bodied athletes after a specially commissioned study found that the blades offered him a significant advantage.