Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius has been hospitalized for head and facial injuries sustained in a boating accident on Saturday, but his manager expects the world-record holder to be ready to compete on the world stage this May.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the 22-year-old "Blade Runner" was injured on South Africa's Vaal river 75 miles south of Johannesburg when the speedboat he was steering struck an object and launched him from the boat. Pistorius was airlifted to Johannesburg's Milpark Hospital and was placed on a ventilator upon arrival. His coach, Peet van Zeel was quoted as saying that the use of the ventilator was "purely a safety measure" taken because Pistorius had multiple facial fractures and severe swelling around his airways.
Anchen Laubscher, the principal medical officer of the emergency crew that airlifted Pistorius was quoted as saying, "Everything can be repaired surgically.... He is fine. His brain is functioning normally." Pistorius underwent surgery on Sunday and was listed as being in stable condition in the intensive care unit of a Johannesburg hospital. On Monday, he was described as conscious and stable.
Amelda Swartz, spokeswoman for Milpark Hospital, said on Monday that Pistorius would likely be moved from intensive care by Wednesday, and "if all goes well, maybe home by the end of the week,"
van Zyl, told the AP, "Oscar will be back on the track sooner rather than later.... He has sustained no leg, arm, or rib damage. The doctors are quite happy with how the operation went and they expect Oscar to make a full recovery,"
Though the "Fastest Man on No Legs" will miss at least two races in February and March, van Zyl contends that Pistorius still plans to compete in the 100m and 400m sprints this May at the Paralympic World Championships in Manchester, England. Pistorius holds the Paralympic world records in the 100m, 200m, and 400m races, and told the AP in January that his goal for this year was to compete in the world championships in Berlin this August against able-bodied athletes and to prepare to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics.
