South Africa's Oscar Pistorius made history yesterday and realized his long-held dream when he became the first double amputee to compete in an athletics event at the Olympics.

Oscar Pistorius of South Africa competes in the men's 400m heats, making history on Day 8 of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The 25-year-old qualified for the semifinals of the 400 meters by running a season's best of 45.44sec in finishing second, a performance made extra special as his 89-year-old grandmother was in the crowd.

Pistorius, who had both legs amputated below the knee before he was aged one, because of a congenital condition, runs on carbon fibre blades.

"It's just an experience to be here. It's a dream come true," said Pistorius, whose time was the 16th fastest overall.

"I've worked for six years to try and make the 400 meters standard.

"It's just an unbelievable experience. I found myself smiling on the starting blocks which is very rare and as I came out of the tunnel I saw my friends and family here."

Most important of all for him was the presence of his ageing grandmother, who has been a seminal influence on him since his mother died 10 years ago.

"My grandmother, she's 89, she was here with the South African flag. It was just an amazing experience.

"My mother was such a big part of my life and my grandmother was out here today. My family's just been a huge... support."

Pistorius, who had set himself the goal of reaching the semifinals, said that it was hard to place this among his many other remarkable experiences in competition.

"I've had some experiences which I hold very dear to my heart," he said.

"My first Paralympic Games in Athens (2004) is still probably one of the highlights of my career.

"I was a 17-year-old kid with curly hair and braces. I didn't know what to expect and that was just mind-blowing for me and I didn't even know the guys I was running against."