"Blade runner" Oscar Pistorius passed his first test with flying colors on his world championships debut by finishing third in his heat to reach the 400 meters semifinals yesterday.

The South African, who has had to overcome huge legal and performance obstacles just to be allowed to race in Daegu on his prosthetic legs, delighted the crowd with a strong run of 45.39 seconds from an outside lane.

The crowd rose to the double amputee as he powered down the final straight before a band of his compatriots chanted "Oscar! Oscar!" to confirm the 24-year-old as one of the sentimental favorites of the championships.

Describing his landmark race as a "great relief" especially after the disruption of a false start by another of the runners, Pistorius said he had fulfilled a long-held ambition.

"It was a great opportunity for me to have a chance to run, this is a goal I've had for many, many years," he said.

"I really don't feel like a pioneer but I'm very honored to be in the position I am in ... I hope to write a few more chapters, I'm still young."

Noting that other heats had been faster, Pistorius, whose time was the second fastest of his career, said he thought today's semifinal might be the end of the road for him in Daegu. "Today my goal was to be consistent, it was difficult running from lane eight, I know tomorrow's going to be much more challenging."

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