Oscar Pistorius is back on the track. The South African athlete is out on bail for the murder of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, and has gotten back to training as he awaits trial.
Pistorius strapped on his running blades for the first time in several months, testing out a “low-key track routine.”
The UK Mirror reports:
Oscar Pistorius pulls on his running blades as he returns to training for the first time since the killing of his girlfriend.
Bearded and leaner, the 26-year-old was said to have been “overcome with emotion” in his return to the track after five months out.
The athlete’s agent, Peet van Zyl, said Pistorious had described his return to regular training as “bittersweet”.
“It was a very emotional experience for him to put the blades back on, to walk back onto the track, get the smell of the track,” said Mr Van Zyl, who went to the track at the University of Pretoria with Pistorius,” he said,
“It was tough for him. He said to me it was like a bittersweet feeling and emotion for him to be back on the track.”
Pistorius’ return to training was seen in a brief video clip released by his family
In the footage, which is around two minutes long, the athlete is first sitting on a chair at his usual training track at the university pulling on his running blades.
He then does some light jogging on the sunbathed track and, finally, wipes his face with both hands as he walks off the track.
Pistorius telephoned Mr Van Zyl and his coach, Ampie Louw, about a week ago to say he was ready to train again.
“(He) said, ‘Guys I think I’m ready to resume training,” Mr Van Zyl said.
Yesterday’s visit was the second time Pistorius has been seen on the university track since he killed Ms Steenkamp.
Family members denied Pistorius was back to training after he was snapped on a university track field. At the time, the 26-year-old was in such a “traumatized state” that he couldn’t train. Authorities are commissioning the help of Apple techs to break into the Paralympic champion’s iPhone 5, to retrieve messages shared between the couple prior to the shooting.
Pistorius claims to have forgotten the smartphone password, and maintains he shot Steenkamp thinking she was a robber.
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Photo: Reuters
