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Nick Harris: If Oscar Pistorius has a darker side, he did well to hide it says Iwan Thomas

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Oscar Pistorius and Iwan Thomas have trained together, socialised together and been firm friends for the best part of a decade.

And during all that time, says the former British 400metre champion, he has never once seen the Blade Runner with a gun.

The image painted in some quarters of Pistorius as a gun enthusiast who regularly frequents shooting ranges as a way of releasing pent-up emotions is not one that chimes with Thomas.

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Case for the defence: Oscar Pistorius at his bail hearing

'I've never seen Oscar with a gun, he has never mentioned guns and, apart from thinking it was likely he would own a firearm to protect himself at home, I have no knowledge of any history between Oscar and guns,' Thomas told Inside Sport.

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'We've been mates for seven years and we share an interest in cars and fast motorbikes. Oscar has told me that the way he unwinds is to take his bike out at night for a spin.'

Thomas has followed the tragedy of Reeva Steenkamp's death and the allegation that 26- year-old Pistorius murdered his girlfriend in cold blood with understandable grief and concern. His first thought is for Steenkamp.

'The saddest thing is that a young woman has died and my heart goes out to her family,' he said.

But in the maelstrom of claim and counterclaim about how the 29-year-old died in the early hours of Valentine's Day, Thomas hopes against hope that there is some rational explanation for a tragedy that has seized global headlines.

Pistorius spent most of last week fighting to be released on bail rather than have to spend months in one of South Africa's notoriously violent prisons awaiting trial on a charge of premeditated murder. On Friday he finally heard that bail had been granted.

Thomas, 39, won world, European and commonwealth titles in the 400m as well as picking up an Olympic medal in 1996 - and he did so using the South African city of Pretoria, where Pistorius lives, as his regular training base.

The Welshman understands the culture of violent crime there and has an insight into why ordinary householders - let alone a celebrity such as Pistorius - might choose to sleep with a gun nearby.

Training partners: Iwan Thomas (left) and Oscar Pistorius

Thomas and Pistorius first met on the competitive circuit, then developed a relationship as Thomas's media career led him to cover the Blade Runner's rise to fame as an icon of both Paralympic and South African sport.

'It's hard to think it's rational to sleep with a 9mm pistol under your pillow, as Oscar did, but if you've ever spent much time in South Africa, you'll appreciate that it's a totally different mindset,' said Thomas.

'The crime is appalling. I know because I regularly used Pretoria as a base. As long ago as 1996 I remember going out to a club on a day off. When you checked in your coat people were handing in their guns, too. They'd empty their bullets, hand them over and check in their gun. It was incredible but a normal part of life. We were told not to go anywhere in Pretoria after 9pm and, if you absolutely had to go out in a car, then you were told not to stop, even at a red light.'

Thomas heard of Steenkamp's death when a friend sent him a message via Twitter.

'I'm in shock that someone I know so well has been caught up in something as awful as this,' said Thomas. 'I so desperately want to believe it was all a tragic accident.'

He recalls one particular training weekend with Pistorius a few years ago in the Tuscan city of Grosseto.

'He trains so hard. I keep myself in good shape but he wiped the floor with me, so much so that I was sick. Then we went to hang out on the beach, have an ice cream, normal stuff. I've been with him in different environments and he has always been the same. At the World Championships in Daegu in 2011, we went for a night out. I've seen him when perhaps we'd had too many beers and he's still a lovely, respectful guy.'

Blade runner: Oscar Pistorius at the London Olympics

Tho mas insists that Pistorius deals with professional setbacks well and he does not believe that his outburst at the London Paralympics about the length of winning 200m rival Alan Oliveira's running blades indicated some darker side.

'It was just an honest reaction coming from someone disappointed at losing a race,' said Thomas. 'I don't look at that now and think it's indicative of a dark side. It just wasn't. I've seen him with cameras around and I've been with him in private situations and social situations. If he does have another side to him then he did very well to hide it from me.'

Thomas admits that he has had to cut himself off from the world to gather his thoughts over the tragedy.

In the dock: Oscar Pistorius

'I've had to turn my phone off for a few days and shut myself away,' he said. 'You go through your head, every occasion you've spent time with him, replaying what we did and his behaviour, to see if there were any signs. And I can't think of anything, not a single thing. And you start doubting yourself, thinking you've missed something.

'I don't expect bad things to happen to good people, and in my experience Oscar is a good person. It could turn out that I'm totally wrong, but if the person I've known for seven years turns out to be someone so completely different then I'll be as confused as anyone.

'Whatever happens now, there is no good outcome here. Reeva has been killed. Whether it turns out to be a tragic accident or something else then Oscar will have to live with that for the rest of his life.'

Train with Amir? It's a knockout

Fancy getting punched by Amir Khan for £1,499? Now you can.

The 'experiences company' Red Letter Days, owned by businessmen Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis of Dragons' Den fame, is now offering the chance to train or play sport with a range of sporting personalities.

Khan is the most expensive big name on offer but for that princely sum you'll get a boxing masterclass.

£1499: You too can be punched by Amir Khan, for a price

Among other experiences you can also play tennis with Martina Hingis for £599, cricket with Darren Gough (£425) or snooker with Jimmy White (£150).

At the bargain end of the scale is a goalkeeping lesson from former Wimbledon Crazy Gang member Dave Beasant for just £100.

  More... Pistorius will 'suffer alone' if he is lying, says murdered girlfriend's father Bailed Blade Runner's coach wants Pistorius back in training on MONDAY Pistorius granted bail as judge rules he is NOT a flight risk despite murder charge... accused athlete's next court date is in June Pistorius will cost Paralympic movement millions, say marketing men





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