Pistorius, Semenya selected to run at African Championships

JOHANNESBURG (AP) -- Oscar Pistorius is listed to run at the African Championships in late June in what could be the double-amputee sprinter's last chance to qualify for the London Olympics.

Pistorius and former women's 800-meter world champion Caster Semenya were selected Wednesday for South Africa's team for the June 27-July 1 championships in Porto Novo, Benin.

South Africa's qualifying window closes at the end of June and Pistorius still needs one more time of 45.30 seconds or better in the 400 at an international meet to be eligible for the Olympic team.

Pistorius clocked 47.66 to finish last at the Golden Spike in Ostrava, Czech Republic, last week in his first overseas race this season. He ran 46.35 at a meet in the Netherlands on Sunday.

The 25-year-old South African also has lined up races at U.S. Diamond League meets this weekend in Eugene, Ore., and June 9 in New York in his quest to become the first amputee to run at the Olympics.

South Africa's athletics federation said 2009 world title winner Semenya, who has already posted her qualifying times for the Olympics, needed to run at the African Championships as part of her selection criteria.

The 21-year-old Semenya has never competed at a senior African Championships. Controversial gender tests in 2009 sidelined her for 11 months and left her no time to prepare for the 2010 continental championships in Kenya.