Former Paralympian Oscar Pistorius who was convicted of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, has been released from the Atteridgeville Correctional Center, a South African jail on parole after nearly 11 years.
Famously known as the "Blade Runner" for his carbon-fibre prosthetic legs, the 37-year-old had fired multiple shots through a bathroom door at his girlfriend in 2013, confessing he had mistaken her for a burglar.
The Sandton-born was sent to prison in October 2014 and will now lead his life under stringent measures until his sentence is over in 2029. He was convicted of murder of his girlfriend in 2015 after an appeal court in South Africa overturned an earlier verdict of culpable homicide.
Pistorius was a renowned athlete of his time and had a celebrated career before it all came crashing down in 2013.
The South African burst onto the world stage following a gold medal in 200m at the Athens Olympics. He took his brilliance to the next level at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 when he dominated the 100m, 200m and the 400m category and bagged gold medals in all three events.
Pistorius' rise didn't stop at Beijing. He carried his dominance into the London Olympics and claimed two gold medals - one in the 400m category, and the other in a 4 x 100 m relay team event.
Steenkamp worked as a TV presenter and made an eye-catching presence in a TV reality show named Tropika Island of Treasure. She was 29 at the time of her death and held a law degree. She was a renowned model and three months into her relationship with Pistorius before her demise.
As per reports, Steenkamp had plans to start a law firm of her own to help women who were victims of abuse and torture.
Pistorius' initial charge of culpable homicide was overturned and he was held guilty of murder when the jury at the Supreme Court of Appeal concluded that he had shot bullets "without having a rational or genuine fear that his life was in danger".
