Oscar Pistorius Will Be Allowed To Compete In The Paralympics After He Serves His Punishment

Craig Spence, spokesperson for the IPC gave the following statement:

"Providing he serves his sentence and he wants to compete, and if selected by the South African National Paralympic Committee, he will be free to compete in IPC competitions going forward."

Spence added that Pistorius "could not be denied the right to compete again as the IPC was not 'responsible for the punishment -- that has come from the South African courts.'"

Pistorius will serve a maximum of 15 years in prison after being found guilty by a South African judge of culpable murder for shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius was also found guilty of negligently handling a gun after it fired in a restaurant in a seperate incident.

Pistorius has won six gold medals in the Paralympics. He was also the first amputee to compete in the Olympics running the 400 meter and 4 x 400 meter races in the 2012 Summer Olympics. Though he'll be allowed to run after he completes his punishment, he may struggle to get back to Olympic level. If Pistorius serves the maximum 15-year sentence, he'll be 42 years old when he gets out, past the physical prime of many track runners.