Irish Paralympian great Jason Smyth has announced his retirement from competitive running after a glittering career spanning two decades.
The 35-year-old Derry man made the T13 sprinting events his own throughout his career and retires as the world record holder at both 100m and 200m.
Smyth’s first major gold medal for Ireland came at the 2005 European Championships in Finland, where he claimed victory in the 100m and 200m events.
He followed that up with two golds at the 2006 World Championships in the Netherlands but it was at the 2008 Paralympics where he cemented his status as the best in the world, winning gold in both sprint events, he would never relinquish them.
Smyth successfully defended his gold medals at the 2012 Paralympics and his 100m title at the 2016 Games.
The only reason he was unable to match his 200m crown in 2016 and 2020 was the fact that the event had been removed from the programme.
Smyth saved his best performance for last. In what has since proved to be his big farewell run, Smyth lined up for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic final having come through a year dogged by injury and questions over whether or not age had caught up with him.
Having blazed through the qualifying heats, Smyth lined up alongside Skander Djamil of Algeria who had, until that point, been faster than the Derryman over the year.
The two were neck and neck, well clear of the chasing pack as they sped towards the line and in a finish that looked almost too close to call, Smyth again proved to be the fastest Paralympian on the planet, finishing 0.01 of a second ahead of Djamil.
All in all, Smyth bows out with two world records, six Paralympic gold medals, eight World Championhips titles and six European crowns.
He also goes down as the first Paralympian to compete at an open European championships, qualifying for the semi-finals of the 100 metres at the 2010 event in Barcelona.
Smyth ran 10.43 seconds and progressed to the semi-finals. He just missed out on the final by finishing fourth in that semi-final.
Reflecting on his decision to retire, Smyth said: “I think now is the right time for me to step away from competitive Paralympic Sport. I lived and fulfilled the dream and now I hope to support the next generation of para-athletes on their journey.
“I have loved my time with Team Ireland and I have had many incredible memories that I will really treasure from my time as an athlete.
“There are so many people that have helped me along the way from my coaches, support staff, to my teammates, partners and my competitors. I would especially like to pay tribute to my incredible and very patient family, especially my wife, Elise and my daughters Evie and Lottie.”
Smyth confirmed that he will put his vast experience to good use and will begin working with Paralympics Ireland where he will take up the roll of Strategy Manager with the organisation.
“I now look forward to joining my new teammates at Paralympics Ireland,” he added.
“I feel that I have a lot to offer thanks to my experiences as an athlete and as someone that has been in the Paralympic and Disability sporting environment since my youth. I can’t wait to start this new stage of my career and giving back to the sport that has meant so much to me.”
Tags: