Jason Smyth, one of Ireland's most accomplished Paralympians, has announced his retirement from the sport following a three-decade career that included four Paralympic Games.
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Jason Smyth, one of Ireland’s most accomplished Paralympians, has announced his retirement from the sport following a three-decade career that included four Paralympic Games. The six-time Paralympic champion, who also won the 100- and 200-meter races at the Paralympic Games, retires as one of the greatest sprinters of all time. Furthermore, he won six gold medals at the European Championships, six gold medals at the World Championships, and one gold at the World Indoor Championships in the 60-meter event. Smyth, nicknamed the “Fastest Paralympian on the Earth,” has never lost a match in a professional Para athletics competition in his whole career.
Smyth participated in non-Paralympic athletics while having Stargardt’s Disease, an eye disease that causes vision loss of less than 10%. He represented Ireland at two European Athletics Championships, where he advanced to the semifinals, and the World Athletics Championships, making him the first-ever Paralympian to compete in both competitions. He also claimed two Athletics Ireland National Championships in the 100-meter race. Moreover, he competed for Northern Ireland at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he finished fifth with a timing of 10.66 in Heat 4.
In addition to holding the current world record in each of his two sprint distances, Smyth exits as the reigning European, world, and Paralympic Champion in the 100m T13, an event that he helped redefine. His final effort at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games might go down as one of his best since he used all of his poise to defeat Algeria’s Skander Djamil Athmani and win the men’s 100m T13 by a hundredth of a second.
“I think now is the right time for me to step away from competitive Paralympic Sport,” Smyth said in a statement. “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.”
Smyth will join Paralympics Ireland as a strategy manager, a position he claims would allow him to give back to the sport that has meant a great deal to him. “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,” Smyth said. He added, “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.”
“Whilst one part of Jason’s career is coming to an end, another is just beginning,” said Stephen McNamara, CEO of Paralympics Ireland. “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.”
Smyth’s achievements on the track have solidified his reputation as one of Ireland’s best athletes in history. His life is one of greatness and perseverance, and he has made a significant contribution to paralympic athletics. “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,” McNamara said.
