Jason Smyth has retained his World Para Athletics Championship with a blistering performance in the T13 100m final. This is Jason’s 8th World Championships win and 18th Major Championship win for a man that has never been beaten a major Paralympic Championship. Jordan Lee was the other Irish athlete that was in competition this afternoon in Dubai where he finished in joint 7th with a clearance of 1:87m but he fell just short of clearing 1:91m.
Jason Smyth showed good form in his heat this morning when he won pulling up but he showed his incredible speed in the final when he blitzed the field to win in a new Championship Record time of 10:54 to give a winning margin of 3 tenths of a second over Chad Perris from Australia.
‘It’s another incredible world championships, things obviously have been going very well this year and such a strange time of the year, November, to be trying to put up fast times but to come here and put up one of my fastest times of the season, it’s testament to a lot of the people that are around me and supporting me and putting me in a position to get here and do so.’
19 year old Kerry athlete, Jordan Lee, came into the T47 World Para Athletics High Jump final having recorded the third highest jump of the field this year when he jumped a 1.95m. However, Jordan had been suffering from a heel injury that had impacted on his preparation over the last month and this showed as he struggled on his approach to the bar.
Jordan comfortably cleared his first jump of 1:83m on his first attempt but it took his final effort to clear 1.87m after a few aborted attempts at the height. However, with the bar at 1.91m Jordan struggled to summon the momentum that he needed and he couldn’t quite get the clearance he needed to finish in joint 6th position. A disappointed Jordan Lee said ‘I believe in situations like this it really shows and defines your true character and you rise above it and that’s what I’m going to do.’
Tomorrow it is the turn of Great Streimikyte, the European Champion, who will compete for Ireland in the Women’s 1500m T13 Final.
World Para Athletics Championships, Dubai Day 7 Results
Jason Smyth, Men’s 100m T13 Final, 10:54, 1st position *Gold Medal Winner
Jordan Lee, Men’s High Jump T47 Final, 1.87m, Joint 6th position
World Para Athletics Championships, Dubai Day 8 Schedule
Greta Streimikyte, Women’s 1500m T13 Final, 11:05am (7:05am Irish Time)
World Para Athletics Championships, Dubai Day 9 Schedule
Mary Fitzgerald, Women’s F40 Shot Put, 7:28pm (4:28pm Irish Time)
Michael McKillop & David Leavy, Men’s 1500m T38 Final 7:31pm (3:41pm Irish Time)
