Ireland's Jason Smyth won his sixth Paralympic gold medal after edging the T13 100m final in Tokyo to elongate a remarkable sequence of victories that dates back to the 2008 final in Beijing. He retains the moniker 'the Fastest Paralympian on the Planet.'
The 34-year old Derry native beat Algeria’s Skander Djamil Athmani, the fastest qualifier for the final, by the width of a singlet or 0.01 seconds in claiming a fourth consecutive T13 100 metres Paralympics title to add to those in Beijing (2008), London (2012) and Rio (2016). He also won the 200 metres in Beijing and London before that race was dropped from the Games.
Smyth claimed victory in the final in 10.53 seconds, his fastest time of the season - he had earlier won in his heat in 10.74 seconds - on foot of a blistering start, and, despite tying up slightly towards the finish. Athmani tried to chase down the Irishman from the opening gun and with half a metre more might have accomplished that goal but Smyth timed the dip for the line perfectly.
This victory brings his championships tally from Europeans, Worlds to Paralympics to 21 gold medals dating back to 2005; a 16-year period of dominance in which he’s never lost a race, a remarkable sequence of excellence.
An emotional Smyth admitted: “(I’m) delighted, (it was) obviously an extremely close race. I knew coming into it that the Algerian had run quite quickly in the heats and he’s run very quick this year, quicker than I have. So I knew that I was up against it.
“(If) I reflect back on this year, I had one of the toughest years I have had with injuries. Nine months ago I was wondering, is this me done? Three months ago I was wondering if I would be at the Games and be able to be at this level. We got things right and they came together right at the right time.
“As I keep saying to everybody you see me as the athlete standing out there competing but it is actually the people around you, the team that makes what just happened (come true); without them I wouldn’t be standing here.
“And those people know who they are, from the track coaches to physio to S&C, they put in a huge amount of work. And even at home, my wife (Elise) and two daughters (Lottie and Evie) whom I haven’t seen since July 10th. A huge amount of work and sacrifice goes in by so many people and I was just very grateful for everything they did that allowed me to get here and cross that line first.”
This was always going to be his toughest assignment, the standard of competition improved appreciably in the five years since Rio with all the finalists capable of running under 11 seconds. Athmani led the qualifiers for the final with a 10.59 but Smyth demonstrated the difference between a good time and winning a final. He squeezed the Algerian just enough to make him blink.
The Irishman wasn’t sure he’d won. “I wasn’t 100 per cent sure. I thought I was slightly ahead but it was so close and I knew going into the final speaking to (my coach) that, this is the stage I compete on, I have been here and done it. The Algerian, this is his first time on this stage, so it was about me trying to put him under pressure.
“I certainly felt like I did that at the start of the race, (even if) I tightened up a bit at the end. You put people under pressure under 10 (plus) seconds and it just makes room for mistakes and errors. All I can say is that I was the first person across that line tonight.”
So still the fastest Paralympian? He smiled: “I don’t get too caught up by titles, statements and records because records are there to be beaten. Tonight it was me but that Algerian was right there and on another night it could be him.
“It’s really forget about all that (hoopla), focus on me and getting me right, getting my race right and executing that. After that there is no more that you can do; that often brings the results if you can execute your race.”
And he did so, brilliantly.
