Athletics

Athletics Update

Ireland's Jason Smyth achieved an amazing golden double tonight in the Bird's Nest Stadium in Beijing, winning Paralympic gold for the second time this week. The visually impaired athlete won the 200m (T13) in front of 91,000 spectators, in a new world record time; 21.43sec, remarkably destroying the mark he set in qualifying yesterday by a massive 0.38 of a second.

Speaking after the event Smyth said "Things went very well, I am very pleased. After the false start I knew I had a good start but had to do it again. I had to attack the bend to put the guys under pressure; it's where I would be the strongest. The bend went well and I had a good lead into the straight. This is what the whole year has been about, right for this moment and this success. It went all to plan and it's such a relief. So many people have put in so much effort. It's great for the people around me that it has paid off. I am looking for forward to going home, to put the legs up for a couple of weeks!"

After his 100m gold on Saturday the Derry athlete produced his fourth world record in four races at these Games winning this second gold in 21.43sec, which is an astonishing feat. The twenty one year old now holds the Paralympic title, world title, and Paralympic and world records in the 100m and 200m (T13 category for athletes with visual impairment) and now ranks up there as one of Ireland's greatest athletes, and all in his first ever Paralympic Games.

As with the 100m on Saturday night Alexey Labzin of Russia was the one to get closest to Ireland's Smyth but in reality never challenged the Irishman, finishing second again in a time of 21.87sec; 0.45 of a second behind the Derry sprinter. Vugar Mehdiyev of Azerbaijan was the bronze medalist in a time of 22 seconds flat; a season's best for him.

The Irish camp had an anxious wait ahead of the beginning of Smyth's final tonight with worry over a hamstring niggle he picked up in yesterday's heat compounded by a thunder and rainstorm in the preceding hour of the race. With his visual impairment; Stargardts, the Irish athlete often has difficulty seeing the track lines in wet conditions but tonight found the conditions had cleared up sufficiently by the time his race got underway. After a false start by one of the other competitors unsettling the nerves, Smyth set himself in the blocks and blasted around the bend at the second time of asking to take a commanding lead which he held to the end.

About the conditions Smyth said: "The glare on the track wasn't too bad today after the rain so it wasn't really a problem thankfully."

In a gesture that says everything about this Irish team, Smyth on his lap of honour stopped to console and embrace a fellow Irish athlete; Orla Barry, who had not been so fortunate on the field of play, a gesture that typifies the man.

In the crowded mixed zone after the race Jason's full time coach Stephen Maguire, who deserves so much of the credit for getting Smyth to this place in his career said; "I don't know what to think. I thought I'd be jumping around but in fact I am just relieved he made it through in one piece. Four world records in four races, we couldn't have dreamt of anything like that. That was the goal in October time when we set out our plan for these races. Thankfully the plan has stuck and has worked; it's just incredible. Ultimately he will be a 200m and 400m guy by the time he gets to London but let's just savour this first!"

Tralee's Roy Guerin, was in action at the Bird's Nest stadium this morning competing in his only event, the 100m (T53 Class). It has been a long wait for the Tralee based sprinter who finished sixth in his heat in a time of 16.59secs. The time was not sufficient to progress to the final and Guerin said "I did not perform as I should have. That is racing and I am disappointed not to have made the final".

Also this evening in the Bird's Nest Orla Barry from Ladysbridge in Cork was competing in the discus competition (F57/58 Class). Barry threw a best distance of 27.08metres to finish fifth in the final. Barry's distance of 27.08meters was her second longest throw ever in competition but unfortunately the Paralympic debutant will not remember this event fondly as she fouled all three of her final throws to miss out on climbing the final rankings.

In the mixed zone after the event, surrounded by team mates and coaches, Barry was too upset to comment but at the age of twenty-one, this was a strong performance that augers well for the future.