By Sam Lyon

Pistorius was put through his paces under lab conditions in Cologne

Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius will find out before the end of 2007 if he can continue to compete against able-bodied athletes in the 400m.

The 20-year-old had both legs amputated below the knee as a child and runs on carbon fibre blades.

But the International Amateur Athletics Federation wants to ensure the blades do not give him an unfair advantage.

"We're very happy with how the tests went," Pistorius's agent Peet van Zyl told BBC Sport.

"And if the tests come out in his favour, then the Olympic Games in Beijing will be a big goal and aim next year for Oscar."

The tests were conducted at the Cologne Sports University this week, with professor Peter Bruggemann, an expert in athletics biomechanics, in charge of the arrangements.

Pistorius ran alongside six able-bodied athletes who have similar 400m personal bests to him, in order to establish whether his blades counted as "technical aids", which are forbidden in competition.

At the end of the day, whether the test are positive or negative, Oscar is definitely going to go to the Paralympic Games in Beijing next year Pistorius's agent Peet van Zyl

The IAAF is paying for the research, with Bruggermann's report expected to be completed by the middle of December - at which point the IAAF will make a judgement about Pistorius's eligibility based on those findings.

However, Van Zyl has said that regardless of the outcome of the tests, Pistorius continues to target success at the 2008 Paralympic Games.

"At the end of the day, whether the test are positive or negative, Oscar is definitely going to go to the Paralympic Games in Beijing next year," he said.

"There is no way he will turn his back on the Paralympics - that's his big competition for next year.