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Jason Smyth storms to victory at World Para Athletics Championships

Ireland's Jason Smyth has cruised to victory in the final of the 100-metre sprint at World Para A...



Jason Smyth storms to victory...
Other Sports

Jason Smyth storms to victory at World Para Athletics Championships

Ireland's Jason Smyth has cruised to victory in the final of the 100-metre sprint at World Para Athletics Championships. 

The 32-year-old Derry native set a new championship record of 10.54 seconds in Dubai on Wednesday afternoon.

Australia's Chad Perris came in second ahead of Namibia's Johannes Nambala in third.

The run was just 0.08 outside Smyth's own world record and 0.03 slower than his season's best.

It marks the eighth time he has been a world champion and is his 19th major medal.

Reacting to the victory Smyth was excited and particularly keen to thank the team around him.

"It’s another incredible world championships, things obviously have been going very well this year and such a strange time of the year, November, to be trying to put up fast times but to come here and put up one of my fastest times of the season.

"It’s a testament to a lot of the people that are around me and supporting me and putting me in a position to get here and do so.

"As we sit and think about World Championships, we're also nine months away from the Paralympic Games, your mind really starts switching to that and how preparations are going.

"I tend to not think too much about times, I mean obviously the reality is the quicker you run the more likely you are to win.

"Championships are really about crossing the line first and times take care of themselves.

"I know I'm in shape to run fast and honestly I feel like I'm in shape to run faster.

"It's November, it's three months ago that I last raced and now we start to look ahead to next year and actually being able to run faster, I'm moving  in the right direction and progressing and that's really what I need to be doing and want to be doing."

It wasn't to be for Kerryman Jordan Lee, however.

He came into the T47 World Para Athletics High Jump final having recorded the third-highest jump of the field this year when he jumped a 1.95m.

The 19-year-old had been suffering from a heel injury that had impacted on his preparation over the last month though and this showed as he struggled on his approach to the bar and finished sixth.

Lee was naturally disappointed afterward but optimistic too about his future and said "I believe in situations like this it really shows and defines your true character and you rise above it and that’s what I’m going to do."

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