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| Pistorius and Botha |
Nike
Inc. has suspended its contract with double-amputee runner Oscar
Pistorius, as the Olympian faces murder charges in the Valentine’s Day
shooting of his girlfriend.
Pistorius, 26, is accused of a
premeditated killing of model Reeva Steenkamp, though he claims he
mistakenly took her for an intruder.
“Nike has suspended its contract with
Oscar Pistorius,” the company said in a statement. “We believe Oscar
Pistorius should be afforded due process and we will continue to monitor
the situation closely.”
Eyewear maker Oakley Inc. suspended its contract with Pistorius on Monday.
Earlier this week, Nike announced that
it had no plans to use him in future advert campaigns. An advert
featuring Pistorius that said, “I am the bullet in the chamber,” was
pulled from his personal web site on Feb. 14.
Called the “Blade Runner” for his
carbon-fibre running blades, Pistorius is known for his track success
against able-bodied athletes. He won gold and bronze medals at the first
Paralympic Games in Athens in 2004, and set a world record in the 200
meters. He qualified for the London Olympics in the 400 meters and 4×400
relay last summer.
PUNCH
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