Oscar Pistorius Loses Ad Deals With Nike, Oakley
Corporate sponsors of Olympic "blade runner"
Oscar Pistorius have begun to distance themselves from the sprinter, who is accused of murdering his model girlfriend,
Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius is back to court in
South Africa Tuesday morning on murder charges.
Oakley, the eyewear manufacturer, and the sporting goods giant Nike
announced today that they would no longer run ads featuring Pistorius,
the South African double-amputee who gained worldwide fame for running
on carbon-fiber blades.
"In light of the recent allegations, Oakley is suspending its contract
with Oscar Pistorius, effective immediately. Our hearts are with the
families during this difficult time and we'll continue to follow the
developments in this tragic case," Oakley spokeswoman Cheri Quigley said
in a statement released this afternoon.
Earlier in the day, Nike said it had "no plans" to use Pistorius in
future ad campaigns, according to the Associated Press. Nike had already
pulled an Internet ad showing Pistorius starting to sprint with the
caption, "I am the bullet in the chamber."
The companies made their announcements shortly after Pistorius' own
agent, Peet Van Zyl, said publicly that he expected the sponsors to
stick with Pistorius through the legal process.
PHOTOS: Paralympic Champion Charged in Killing
Pistorius will appear in court Tuesday morning for a bail hearing. His
attorneys are expected to argue against the charge of premeditated
murder.
His family has said the shooting was an accident.
The news comes as more details emerge about the incident on Thursday
morning in which Pistorius allegedly shot and killed Steenkamp at his
gated home in Pretoria, South Africa.
Bryn Lennon; Gallo Images/Getty Images
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News reports in local papers have said that police are investigating
whether Pistorius had an anger-management problem that led to the
incident. They focused in on a bloodied cricket bat that may have been
used when Steenkamp died.
A "shocked" teammate of Oscar Pistorius rebutted the rumors and speculation in South Africa that Pistorius had an anger problem.
Ofentse Mogawane, a sprinter for the South African Olympic team who ran
the 400-meter relay with Pistorius in the London summer games last year,
said Pistorius had always been genial to him and other people.
Mogawane said he would be in court Tuesday to support his friend.
"Basically, he was a very good guy to us, to the teammates and to most
athletes," Mogawane said. "He was a really humble person and I wouldn't
say a bad word about him. We never had any kind of clash, never any kind
of fight or disagreement or arguing.
"The way Oscar's case was, it shocked me, shocked most of the people who
know him. Tomorrow in court I am going to be there to support him. To
hear what happened the night of the incident," he said.
"Sometimes when people are angry they cannot control their anger. Something must have happened."
Mogawane, 30, spoke in support of Pistorius after a report in South
Africa's City Press newspaper that claimed police were looking into the
possibility that a bloody cricket bat found in his bedroom was used
before the shooting.
"The way the news has been running around in South Africa, that he is a
short-tempered person, a person who has problems with anger management,
they just want something to say," Mogawane said. "They don't know Oscar
at all. They just want to get interviewed and take pictures. But truly
speaking, it's just a lot of speculation."
Mogawane said he had seen Pistorius become angry before, but only in the same way as any other athlete or person.
But the City Press reported Sunday that police are investigating
different scenarios involving the bat. Among them is the possibility
that the flat-fronted bat was used in a violent argument before the
shooting.
The paper also reported that Pistorius might have first shot Steenkamp
in the bedroom, and that she possibly fled to the bathroom where she was
shot three more times through the door.
When Pistorius' family arrived at the scene before paramedics, they saw
him carrying Steenkamp down the stairs and performing mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation on her, City Press reported.
Pistorius, who is nicknamed the "blade runner" because of the
carbon-fiber blades on which he runs, has canceled all his upcoming
racing appearances, his agent said Sunday night.
The decision was made to "allow Oscar to concentrate on the upcoming
legal proceedings and to help and support all those involved as they try
to come to terms with this very difficult and distressing situation,"
Van Zyl, of In Site Athlete Management, said in a statement.
Pistorius' father was quoted overnight in the South African paper The
Sunday Times saying his countrymen are destroying a national icon.
AP
