Six-time Paralympic gold medal winner Jason Smyth has announced his retirement at the age of 35.
Born in Derry and living just outside Belfast, Smyth had hoped to make it to a fifth Paralympics in Paris next year to compete for a seventh gold.
The sprinter has called time on his career this morning, making the call ahead of this summer's World Paralympics Games and with an unbeaten record in Paralympic competition that stretches over 19 years.
Read next: Belfast dad touched by Northern Ireland footballer's gesture to autistic son
Smyth competed in the T13 classification because he has Stargardt’s disease, which affects his central vision.
He is the fastest Paralympian of all-time and holds the World and Paralympic records in T13 100m (10:46) and 200m (21.05), which he set at the London Paralympics in 2012.
He won double T13 sprint gold on his Paralympic debut in Beijing 2008, retained them in London and in Rio, with the T13 200m removed from the programme, he still reigned supreme in the 100m.
Smyth saved the best until last, winning the 100m in Tokyo against Algeria’s Skander Djamil Athmani, the fastest qualifier for the final, by .01 of a second - 10.53 to 10.54.
"I do look back and think ‘how the heck did we get that right’," said Smyth last October.
"To pull it off in that manner, after all the injuries, that would be the number one of all I’ve achieved. And the reality is everyone just expected me to win, without really knowing everything, that’s even more pressure.”
His medal haul also includes eight World Paralympic golds (including one indoors) and six European golds.
In that interview last October, Smyth said that he hoped to go on until Paris but had to weigh up that decision.
“There is nothing more to do, and the competition has got a lot closer, a lot tighter," he said.
"But in that lies the challenge, it has made me even more aware of why I’m doing it. It makes the story an even better one.
“The reality is by going to Paris, the risk is significantly higher than the reward. You’ve much less room to get things wrong, and a greater need to get things right. I’d be open on that front, know that myself, I wouldn’t hang on just to drift.
“It’s only in hindsight that you can really reflect on these decisions being right or not. For me it won’t be until I get to Paris, and by that stage it might be too late, that’s being honest. So of course there’s a risk in that.
“Tokyo last year was positive in what we were able to get on top of some of the injury issues.
"I’ve been back training since the start of September, so I think where I am, and will be, is in a good place to run fast next summer, and certainly believe I can run faster than over the last couple of years. How will that play out? Nobody knows until it happens.”
READ NEXT:
Garcia reacts to 'bitter' McIlroy question following 'lacking maturity' comment
- Boxing fans expected to splash the cash for Katie Taylor homecoming tickets
Eddie Hearn accuses GAA chiefs of 'taking the p***' over Croke Park talks
Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox.
