Pistorius won three gold medals at the Beijing Paralympics

Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius has told BBC Sport he wants to run in the 400m at the able-bodied World Athletics Championships in Berlin in August.

The South African double amputee was cleared to race against able-bodied athletes last year but missed out on a place at the Beijing Olympics.

He is currently 0.3 seconds short of the qualifying time of 45.95 seconds.

"I will be spending time in Europe and am hoping to compete in some events to try to achieve the time," he said.

Pistorius, who won three gold medals at the Beijing Paralympics, currently has a personal best of 46.25 seconds for the distance, set last year in Lucerne.

He believes he can improve on that as he targets Berlin in August and also starts his bid to run in both the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

He will also be competing at the Paralympic World Cup in Manchester in May and hopes he can continue his successful run there which has yielded six wins in six races.

"The Paralympic World Cup is one of my favourite events and I really enjoy coming to Manchester," he added.

"The inclusion of the 400m is a great opportunity and if the track is dry I will be in good shape to break a world record for the first time."

It is an excellent opportunity for top class competition Paralympic swimmer Dave Roberts

The event, which will include wheelchair basketball, swimming and cycling, as well as athletics will take place from 20-25 May and will be the first major step for many athletes as they prepare for 2012.

Organisers have secured an unprecedented four-year sponsorship deal, worth seven figures, with BT.

Swimmer David Roberts, who won four golds in Beijing to equal Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson's mark of 11 Paralympic golds, is relishing the opportunity of competing on home soil.

"This event is a massive chance to thank the British public for their support during Beijing and to compete in front of a large crowd in Manchester," he said.

"It is an excellent opportunity for top class competition and a good pointer for me ahead of the European Championships in Iceland in October and the World Short Course Championships in Brazil at the end of the year."

ParalympicsGB chief executive Phil Lane added: "Not only does the Paralympic World Cup raise the profile of disability sport in Great Britain between the Paralympic Games, it also gives our athletes an opportunity to compete on home soil against the world's best, which is vital for preparation for the Paralympics."

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