SALVO, North Carolina: World sprint champion Tyson Gay said on Thursday he would have no problem racing South African double amputee Oscar Pistorius, who has been barred from the Beijing Olympics and other international races by the sport's world governing body.

"If they (Pistorius and other other paralympic athletes) want to go out there and compete just like we do and put their heart in to it, I see no problem with it whatsoever," Gay said during a teleconference announcing his selection as US Olympic Committee sportsman of the year.

"It would be great," Gay, the world 100 and 200m champion, said . "I think he would be motivating a lot of other people."