Oscar Pistorius resumes training

Zee Media Bureau

Johannesburg: South African Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius, accused of murdering his girlfriend, resumed limited training on Thursday. Sporting a short beard and a blue hooded sports top, a lean Pistorius did some light jogging in University of Pretoria that which turned out be his first formal session in around five months. "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’ agent Peet van Zyl was quoted as saying in media reports. "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," he said. In a statement on Thursday, Pistorius’ family said that the double-amputee Olympian will be returning to training but still isn’t contemplating a formal return to athletics. "Oscar has decided to resume a low-key track routine. He is not contemplating a formal return to athletics and this training is not with the aim of preparing for competition," a statement said. "His family, and those close to him, have encouraged him to spend a few hours a week on the track to assist him in finding the necessary mental and emotional equilibrium to process his trauma and prepare for the trial." Also known as the "Blade Runner" for his trademark artificial limbs, Pistorius is accused of murdering model Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine`s Day at his upmarket home in the South African capital. Pistorius claims he mistook his girlfriend for an intruder. The Johannesburg-born Paralympic champion became an inspirational hero to millions as the first double amputee to compete against able-bodied competitors at the London Olympics last year. He was born without fibulae and both his legs were amputated when he was 11 months old. His athletic prowess with his trademark blades would later earn him nicknames like "the fastest man on no legs". His pre-trial hearing is scheduled for August 19. With AFP inputs