This Sept. 9, 2008 file photo shows Oscar Pistorius of South Africa, right, crossing the finishing line ahead of Jerome Singleton of USA in the Men's 100m T44 final during the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games at the National Stadium in Beijing. (Andy Wong - AP) The hurdles along the path to the Olympics have been numerous for South African runner Oscar Pistorius. But for a man who has lived nearly his entire life as a double-amputee, challenges are part of every-day life.

Now, after defying physical limitations and expectations at every turn around the track, Pistorius is one final race away from becoming the first amputee track and field runner to ever qualify for the Olympics.

The Associated Press has the story from Johannesburg:

After a lifetime of defying presumptions about the limits of his athletic capabilities, the double amputee needs to run the 400 meters in 45.30 seconds or quicker just once more before June 30 to be eligible for selection in the South Africa squad for the London Olympics. All of a sudden, he’s having to deal with expectations that he’ll make it.

A U.S. arbitrator late Monday night issued a scathing decision against a former area speedskating coach and Olympic champion, banning him from the U.S. coaching ranks for a host of violations, including “maltreatment, mistreatment, abusive, intimidating, coercive” and “tremendously inappropriate” behavior against youth skaters.

The arbitrator ruled that Kim Dong-Sung, a South Korean Olympic champion who coached youth skaters at three clubs in Maryland and Virginia, should be expelled from U.S. Speedskating for at least 18 separate violations of the organization’s code of conduct.

Seven athletes formerly coached by Kim and four parents of athletes provided American Arbitration Association arbitrator Jeffrey G. Benz with testimony that was cited anonymously in Benz’s 75-page decision to protect their identities.

Team USA could use another big man like Kentucky’s Anthony Davis. (Kevin C. Cox - Getty Images) A slew of injuries to marquee players is forcing the USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski to make late additions to the team’s roster with the London Olympics fast approaching.

The losses of Dwight Howard (back), LaMarcus Alrdige (hip), Derrick Rose (knee) and Chauncey Billups (Achilles) leave several gaping holes on a team expected to contend for the gold medal. But now the Americans will have three extra weeks to polish off the roster after the U.S. Olympic Committee granted their request to extend the selection process to July 7. The original deadline for roster selection was June 18.

Colangelo said 10 of the 12 roster spots are set “on paper.” Those players will likely be NBA MVP LeBron James, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Love and Tyson Chandler.

DALLAS — Leave it to a Team USA sprinter to throw humility out the window during Monday’s meeting between a couple dozen prospective U.S. Olympians and First Lady Michelle Obama.

When Wallace Spearmon, one of the top Americans in the 200 meters, got his chance to shake hands with Mrs. Obama at the 2012 team USA Media Summit, he found himself stunned. And so he told her so.

Mrs. Obama, wearing small heels, looked Spearmon, who stands 6-2, right in the eye.

“Initially, I was in shock,” Spearmon said. “I didn’t realize she was so tall. My first question was: ‘If you’re this tall, how tall is Barack Obama?’... She was laughing.

“She said she was 5-9. That’s a very deceptive 5-9. It looks like about six feet.”

Mrs. Obama appeared on stage with Spearmon and more than a dozen other prospective U.S. Olympians to introduce a partnership between her Let’s Move! initiative and U.S. Olympic sport governing bodies that is hoped will introduce 1.7 million children to Olympic sports by the end of the year.

“This summer, my hope is, together with our children, that we can support Team USA not just by cheering them on, but also by striving to live up to the example they set,” said Mrs. Obama, who will lead the Presidential delegation to the Opening Ceremony of the London Summer Games.

Mrs. Obama told LaShawn Merritt, a 400-meter runner, that one of her daughters competes in that event. Spearmon, standing nearby, said he immediately piped up.

“I told her if she needs any coaching advice, let me know,” Spearmon said.

Dominic Breazeale qualified in the super heavyweight class for a beefed up USA Boxing team. (Chris Carlson - Associated Press) Four years after a disappointing showing in Beijing, the United States boxing team heads to London with a sky-high hopes and nine chances to bring home gold.

Six more Americans qualified for the games with strong showings at the AIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Event in Rio de Janeiro, giving the U.S. the second-largest crop of fighters of any country. The U.S. will send boxers in nine of the 10 weight classes, second to only Australia, which qualified one fighter in every class.

“This performance from the team as a whole should be a message to the world that USA Boxing is still alive and kicking,” said team captain Jamel Herring who qualified over the weekend. “If anything, I say we’re getting stronger and have something to prove.”