Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
JASON’S STILL CHASIN’ AFTER SPRINT GLORY
JASON SMYTH’S gold haul includes five Paralympics medals, eight World
Championship medals and six European Championship medals.
But at 33 years of age and with the sporting calendar seemingly forever up in the air, the Irish sprinter says the fire is burning brighter than ever.
“My first international championships were in 2005 and there is no doubt that since then there have been periods when my motivation has gone up and down,” he said.
“But I find now that I am more motivated than I have ever been. I nearly find with Covid that the more people try to put barriers up, the more I’m motivated to prove people wrong.”
The Derryman, whose impaired vision sees him compete in the T13 category, has gone unbeaten throughout a long and illustrious career in para-athletics.
But you would be mistaken to think his intensity has dipped in these strange times.
With all of his focus on the Paralympics in Tokyo at the end of August, he has relocated to the Canary Islands to finetune his preparations.
Smyth explained: “For sprints, power events, the weather has a massive impact.
“I had a little bit of an injury at the end of last year and being out here in good weather allows you to catch up and get working at the intensity you just cannot do at home.
“You want to be where you need to be now. It lays the foundation for next month and the month after that.
“With the way things are, if you get far behind or too far behind in the current environment, then you are in big difficulties because it’s not the time you want to be chasing anything.”
Smyth has also competed against some of the best able-bodied athletes. His personal best over 100m of 10.22, set nine-and-a-half years ago, is just 0.04 shy of Paul Hession’s Irish record.
And a stout belief that he is still capable of beating that time and getting closer to breaking the magic 10 second barrier continues to drive the star sprinter.
He said: “Firstly, I know I can run faster. I feel there is room for improvement. And secondly, I want to achieve things that no one will ever achieve again.
“For me I like to do my talking on my track. I would like to have an incredibly long career and be incredibly successful and do things that some people will never do.
“It’s about doing what’s seen as impossible, that’s something that has always driven me throughout my career.”
It is a career that Smyth can even see extending to the Paralympics in Paris in 2024.
He added: “Some sprinters have been running very fast in their mid to late thirties, so it very much is possible.
“For me I believe I can go that long. I don’t see why not if I can stay healthy. It’s possible.”
JOSH MURPHY says Mick Mccarthy has put a smile back on his face and lifted Cardiff.
The winger (right) was a bit-part figure under former boss Neil Harris but since Mccarthy has come in, Cardiff and Murphy look completely
different. Mccarthy has taken the Bluebirds up to seventh, unbeaten, since taking charge. Murphy said: “You can see team morale.”
Luton are happy to play ugly for goals. Boss Nathan Jones said: We want to be fluent, but it’s about chances.”
STEVE COOPER is doing a fine job at Swansea, so it isn’t surprising he is being linked with Crystal Palace.
But if he is brought in this summer it should be on the condition Roy Hodgson stays on as director of football to give him the benefit of his wisdom.
We’ve seen too many managers get opportunities higher up, only to struggle because of their lack of CV, something players seize upon in a poor spell.
So what better way for Palace than to have a bright young coach and experienced old head working together?
FROM an administrative viewpoint, there is an integrity issue with European fixtures being relocated because of Covid-19.
But from a player’s perspective, a lot of the lads will be quite happy because, apart from training, like the rest of us the only other place they can really go are supermarkets. Yes, they’ll be getting their toys delivered by Amazon to keep them entertained during lockdown.
But getting on a plane and then playing in a stadium you haven’t played in for a while, if ever, will be a welcome distraction.
Issa Diop stoops to head home the second goal and West Ham are cruising