Six-time Paralympic gold medal winner Jason Smyth has announced his retirement at the age of 35 and will join Paralympics Ireland as a strategy manager.
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.
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 think now is the right time for me to step away from competitive Paralympic Sport," Smyth said.
"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.
“I now look forward to joining my new teammates at Paralympics Ireland.. 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.”
Stephen McNamara, CEO of Paralympics Ireland, reacted: “I would like to join the world of Paralympic Sport in congratulating Jason on an incredible and historic career.
"He has transcended Paralympic Sport and become a true sporting icon thanks to his outstanding successes as an athlete. He truly is one of the greatest ever Irish sportspeople of all time and I believe that will be his legacy.
“Whilst one part of Jason’s career is coming to an end another is just beginning. I am delighted to welcome Jason to the staff of Paralympics Ireland and to work with him to gain the benefit of his experience and his expertise as our new Strategy Manager.
"This marks a new era for Paralympics Ireland as we look to advocate more actively on behalf of Irish disability sports and the Irish disability community at large.
"We will work to positively disrupt the current discourse around disability sport and to shine a spotlight on the incredible ability of sportspersons with a disability and inspire a move to a new outlook on disability.
"I am delighted that we will be able to work alongside Jason who will bring all of his experience to bear as Paralympics Ireland works on behalf of Paralympians, Sportspeople with a disability and the disability community.”
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