Spectators will flock in their droves to the CIT Athletic Stadium, Bishopstown,Cork on Tuesday 8th July for the 63rd Cork City Sports to cheer on their favourites but few are likely to get a more raucous welcome from the fans than Ireland’s own Olympic hero Jason Smyth from Derry who caught the country’s imagination in 2008 winning both the 100m and 200m at the Beijing Olympic Games in the T13 Paralympic Classification. World records were set in both events.
Four years later in London repeated his double gold victories at the Olympics again setting fresh world records of 10.46 sec for the 100m and 21.05 sec for the 200m.
The ever popular Derryman created history by becoming the first paralympian to represent his country and compete in an open European Championship and will be hoping to do the same again this August in Zurich when this year’s Chamionships take place.
With a personal best time of 10.22 for the 100m Smyth is well capable of upsetting the faster US and Jamaican sprinters who will line up in Cork.