South Africa's Paralympic gold medalist Oscar Pistorius has been charged with the Valentine's Day murder of his model girlfriend, police confirmed on Thursday ahead of his expected court appearance.

"I can confirm that a suspect has been charged, he has been charged with murder," said police spokesman Katlego Mogale. Officials said there was no other suspect in the case.

The 26-year-old athlete known as the "Blade Runner" was arrested earlier on Thursday following a fatal shooting at his home in an upscale area near Pretoria.

The 30-year-old victim "was shot four times and died at the scene", Mogale said.

Henke Pistorius, the athlete's father, told AFP his son was "with the police and the matter is in the hands of the authorities. Obviously we are shocked."

The double-amputee Olympian, a national icon in his native South Africa, was known to have been dating model Reeva Steenkamp, who on Wednesday hinted at plans to surprise him.

"What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow???" she tweeted.

The shooting took place in a house inside an upmarket security compound in Silverlakes where Pistorius lives.

The "Blade Runner" made history in 2012 when he became the first amputee to compete in the Olympics.

He won gold in the 4x400m relay at the Paralympic Games.

Last year Time Magazine named the Johannesburg-born runner, who runs on carbon fiber blades, one of the world's 100 most influential people.

Born without lower leg bones, he had both legs amputated below the knee when he was only 11 months old. But he played sports unhindered while growing up, switching to running after fracturing a knee playing rugby.

At high school, he was so good that his personal fitness coach said she was unaware for six months that he ran on prosthetic legs.

Pistorius was initially banned from competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics by the International Association of Athletics Federations on the grounds that his blades gave him an unfair advantage.

That decision was later overturned on appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, although he ultimately failed to meet the Olympic qualifying standard time.

He went on to win a silver medal as part of the 4x400m relay team at the 2011 World Championships in the South Korean city of Daegu before representing his country at the London Olympics and Paralympics last year.

Off the track, Pistorius is an adrenalin junkie, with a love of speed reflected in a passion for motorbikes.

Agence France-Presse

(China Daily 02/15/2013 page4)