The 24-year-old, who runs on carbon fibre legs, easily surpassed the A standard time of 45.25 which he needed to qualify for the South African team that will compete at the World Championships where he will become the first ever amputee sprinter to compete at the event.

The four-time Paralympic gold medallist finished well clear of the field in Lignano as he smashed his personal best of 45.61 to claim a time that will allow South Africa to select him for the London 2012 Olympics.

Pistorius revealed on his Twitter page that he was delighted with the result and singled out his coach Ampie Louw for praise.

He said: "Needed a 45.25 A standard, ran a 45.07sec!

"Thank you to my team, Ampie especially.

"Feels kind of surreal to have an A-qualification time in the bag for next year's Olympic Games.

"Thank you all for your support.

"Can't sleep I'm so happy.

"I have a dumb smile that's permanent!"

Pistorius' previous personal best was inside the B standard for the World Championships but left him him the prospect of missing out on a place in the South African team as every national federation can select three athletes for the World Championships or Olympics -  providing they meet the A standard - with only one allowed if they only meet the B standard.

Before his run in Italy, Pistorius was only the fourth fastest South African in the 400m this year behind LJ van Zyl, Ofentse Mogawane and Lebogang Moeng.

A time of 46.65 in gusty conditions in Padua on Sunday (July 16) had left Pistorius with just one more chance to qualify for the World Championships but his emphatic victory in Lignano saw him leapfrog Mogawane and Moeng while his winning time would have been good enough to earn him fifth place in the Beijing 2008 Olympic 400m final.

Pistorius is eligible to compete in able bodied sport after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned an IAAF ruling in May 2008 that his prosthetic limbs gave him an unfair advantage.

Despite overturning the ban, Pistorius just missed out on qualifying for the Beijing 2008 Olympics but he now appears set become the first amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympics in London 2012.

Pistorius will also compete at the London 2012 Paralympics where he will look to retain his titles in the T44 100, 200 and 400m.

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