Oscar Pistorius first caught media attention when the South African Paralympian decided to bridge the gap and compete in able-bodied events. Much to his country’s pleasure, Pistorius was triumphant in the 2011 World Championships and became the first amputee to ever win a medal in the games. His appearance at the 2012 Olympics was equally impressive, with Pistorius putting on a great show in the men’s 400-meter and 4 x 400-meter relay races, and earned himself the title “blade runner” after his prostheses. That same year, he would go on to win silver and gold medals in the Paralympics, as well as break the World Record for the men’s 400-meter race and in the 4 × 100-meter relay.

Despite all this success on the track, his recent appearances in news headlines have little to do with his athletic abilities. Instead, Pistorius’ face is becoming well-known for his involvement in the murder of his girlfriend, former model Reeva Steenkamp.

On February 14, 2013, Pistorius shot Steenkamp through a bathroom door. The prosecution argued that he did so purposefully, after having fought with Steenkamp earlier that night. But Pistorius defended his actions with a show of tears, claiming that he never meant to shoot Steenkamp but instead had hoped to protect himself and his home from an intruder he believed to be hiding behind the door.

Over the last six months, both sides have sought to prove their points, but today a verdict was finally announced. Though Judge Thokozile Masipa cleared Pistorius of all murder charges, she still found him guilty of culpable homicide or manslaughter; a sentence that ranges from 15 years in prison to a large fine and a suspension.

In a video of the sentencing, Judge Masipa supported her decision saying, “The accused had the intention to shoot at the person behind the door, not to kill—the evidence failed to prove the accused had intention.

“The accused knew that there was a person behind the door, he chose to use a firearm which was a lethal weapon, was competent in the use of firearms as he had received training […] It is clear that his conduct was negligent.”

After the verdict was read this morning, the Paralympics released a statement in which they promised to allow Pistorius to compete in the sport he once dominated after he served his time.”Providing he serves his sentence and he wants to compete, and if selected by the South African National Paralympic Committee, he will be free to compete in IPC competitions going forward,” IPC spokesman Craig Spence told ESPN. Spence further explained that as a sports entity, it was not their place to get involved in personal matters.

Even with the announcement, the public will still have to wait until October 13 to hear of the blade runner’s final fate.

View the video of the judge’s decision below:

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons User Jim Thurston