Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius appears set to lose his fight to compete alongside able-bodied athletes in the Olympics.

The 21-year-old South African's hopes of racing in the Beijing Games next year hung on a scientific analysis of his prosthetic limbs proving they do not give him an unfair advantage.

But the man in charge of the research being carried out by athletics' governing body, the IAAF, has revealed he believes they do offer assistance.

Professor Peter Bruggemann, who supervised the tests on the 'Blade Runner' at the German Sport University in Cologne, told Die Welt newspaper: "He has a considerable advantage compared with athletes without prosthetic limbs who have undergone the same tests.

"The difference is several percentage points, and I did not think the findings would be so conclusive."

The IAAF received Bruggemann's report on Tuesday but at present do not plan to discuss its contents, or make any public announcement, until January 10.

Pistorius' dreams of competing in next year's Beijing Games hinge on the IAAF giving him the all-clear to race against able-bodied opponents.

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