Where Oscar Pistorius is now 12 years after shooting his girlfriend

Oscar Pistorius was once perhaps the world's most famous Paralympic athlete until things came crashing down in 2013 when he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

The South African runner, who is a double amputee, made history in London in the summer of 2012 by being the first amputee to compete in track at the Olympics, having claimed three gold medals in the Paralympics in Beijing four years prior.

Earning the nickname 'Blade Runner' because of his prosthetic legs, which helped make him one of the fastest men in the world, Pistorius was riding the crest of the wave in 2012.

But his life turned around just a year later when he shot his girlfriend four times through the bathroom door, after claiming that he thought it was a burglar.

He was charged with her murder, but the court in Pretoria initially only found him guilty of culpable homicide. However, that verdict was changed in 2015 after a decision from the Supreme Court of Appeal, and he was officially found guilty of Steenkamp's murder.

Pistorius made history at the London 2012 Olympics (Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Pistorius was handed a 15-year sentence in 2016, something which was reduced to 13 years and five months due to the time he had already served, and yet the 39-year-old is now a free man.

On 5 January 2024, the South African was released on parole having served more than half of his sentence, with Steenkamp's mother accepting the decision but noting that her family were the ones 'serving a life sentence'.

Where is Pistorius now?

Pistorius' parole conditions mean he has to stay at home during several hours of the day, but he recently made his return to sport, with South African outlet Netwerk24 reporting in June that Pistorius competed in the Ironman 70.3 event in Durban, under a different name.

Steenkamp was shot and killed by the athlete in their home in Pretoria (WALDO SWIEGERS/AFP via Getty Images)

He had reportedly secured permission from his parole officer to compete in the event, which involved a 2km swim, 90km cycle ride and 21km run, with Pistorius finishing 555th of all competitors and third in the 'physically challenged' section.

Having also reportedly changed his appearance significantly while in prison, Pistorius is allegedly back dating again, with reports suggesting he has entered a romantic relationship with a family friend.

A source told South African publication Netwerk 24 last year: "He is slowly trying to reintegrate into society, but that is being done through families that his family have been close to for decades and is slowly slowly.

"The word on the street for three months now is that he is dating again."

Given the controversy surrounding him and his advanced age, it's unlikely that we will ever see Pistorius at a Paralympics or Olympics ever again.