Pretoria – Sports medicine physician Prof Wayne Derman has testified that he suggested that paralympian Arnu Fourie move from the room he shared with Oscar Pistorius at the 2012 London Paralympics.

This was because Fourie showed signs of becoming ill, Derman told the court during Pistorius’s murder trial at the North Gauteng High Court on Thursday.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel first posed questions about the matter on Tuesday, and suggested the request was due to Pistorius shouting at people on his phone.

Fourie statement

Fourie on Tuesday night posted a statement on social networking site Twitter. In the statement Fourie said he approached his doctor at the 2012 Paralympic Games to find out if the “isolation room was available two nights before our 100m final”.

“It was one of the most important races of my life and I wanted to rest and recover well on my own time in preparation for the race. I cherish all the moments we shared at the London Games,” Fourie said in the statement.

Fourie and Pistorius were teammates in the 400m relay at the games.

On Thursday Derman, sports and exercise medicine professor at the University of Cape Town, and the team doctor, said he noticed Fourie had the beginnings of an upper respiratory tract infection.

“It was my recommendation that he take the isolation room. The last thing you want is two athletes contaminated.”

Pistorius is charged with murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on 14 February 2013.

SAPA