The "Blade Runner" did not win a medal, but that doesn't mean these Olympics were any less important.
Oscar Pistorius set a precedent with his journey to and through the London Games, and he can add one more accomplishment: He was a finalist. A double-amputee who runs on carbon-fiber blades, Pistorius anchored the South Africa team in the 4x400-meter relay final on Friday night, bringing the 80,000-strong crowd to a crescendo.
It didn't matter that he finished eighth. He can proudly add "Olympic finalist" to his long list of unprecedented achievements. "This whole experience was amazing ... to step out here in an Olympic final is more than I could have ever hoped for," Pistorius said. "That opportunity to come here once again and finish today and not yesterday is a dream come true."
Pistorius said the atmosphere, the crowd, the competition, the experience were all "far beyond my expectations." "If I took all the positive things I thought might come out of this and multiply it by 10, it still couldn't come close."
— John Pye
EDITOR'S NOTE — "Eyes on London" shows you the Olympics through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across the 2012 Olympic city and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.
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