The 23-year-old T13 100 and 200m world record holder from Derry - who has a personal best of 10.32sec - is currently tipped as the man most likely to threaten the mark, but said if he cannot do it another Paralympian will.

"It is possible - I definitely wouldn't rule it out," said the visually-impaired star who aged eight was diagnosed with Stargardt's disease, a condition that causes progressive vision loss.

"Running sub-10 seconds is a lot of hard work so if it does happen I don't think it will happen many times, but someone could do it."

American sprinter Jim Hines was the first able-bodied athlete to break through 10 seconds barrier 42 years ago but it was not until July this year that Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre became the first white man to do the same.

Smyth is still some way off the mark but it certainly does not appear totally out of his reach, particularly with the vast improvements he has made training in Florida alongside the world's second fastest man, Tyson Gay, and under the watchful eye of top coach Lance Brauman.

Smyth said: "I was out there last year and was amazed at just how much I improved and how much I learnt.

"It was great to learn off some of the best in the world.

"Being in that environment of world class athletes and to be training with them constantly meant I had to push hard each session.

"I couldn't get away with not having as good a day as those boys who are just so good.

"We usually train six days a week, kicking off at half nine.

"Some days are longer than others as some days we train until half three and others one o'clock.

"We are in the gym quite a lot, four times a week doing weights, track sessions, hurdle mobility sessions, circuits with abs and then we usually have recovery sessions in the pool, so it's quite intense.

"You sometimes see these world class athletes and you think they just don't want to know.

"But they were very friendly and I remember plenty of times during training Tyson would be chatting away and giving me tips, technically, on things he saw and thought I needed to improve on."

Smyth, who is currently training in Portugal while he awaits his visa to fly back to Florida said he did not tell anyone at the Florida camp he had won gold in the 100m and 200m at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games or that he had a visual impairment.

"I would never be one to go round saying I've got this wrong with me or I've done this or done that, so I kept myself quiet and didn't speak out," said Smyth

"I think it was my coach Stephen (Maguire) who ended up telling them at one stage after a few weeks as they didn't know."

Smyth is currently carrying a back injury but looks set to recover in time to defend his 100m and 200m world titles at the Christchurch 2011 International Paralympic Committee Athletics World Championships in January.

Smyth is set to be one of the major attractions in New Zealand alongside South African Oscar Pistorius and Britain's David Weir.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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