By Tom Degun

jason_smythMay 31 - Double Paralympic gold medallist Jason Smyth will continue to enhance his growing reputation against the world's best able-bodied sprinter as he lines up on the blocks in next month's prestigious Samsung Diamond League meeting in New York.


The 24-year-old visually-impaired sprinter from Derry in Northern Ireland was confirmed in a stellar 100 metre field for the June 11 meet, where he will compete alongside the likes of American training partner Tyson Gay, the world's second fastest man.

Smyth made history last year when he became the first Paralympian to compete at a European Championships where he qualified for the semi-finals of the 100m in Barcelona by finishing fourth in his heat with a run of 10.43sec.

Ahead of the race in New York, Smyth will be competing in Florida this weekend at the Star Athletics Last Chance meet in Clermont, the same track where he clocked a new Northern Ireland record of 10.22 two weeks ago to, stripping 0.10 off his previous mark.

Smyth's goal is to better the Olympic and World Championship standard of 10.18 in the coming weeks so that he can achieve his dream of competing at both the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in London next year, as well as the 2011 World Championships in Daegu in August.

Smyth missed out on defending his 100 and 200m titles at the 2011 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics World Championships in Christchurch n January this year with a back injury but he has since returned to full fitness.

The Diamond League meeting in New York will also see Smyth's fellow Paralympian Oscar Pistorius of South Africa compete in the 400m, as he looks to secure the Olympic and World Championship A qualification standard of 45.25.

Pistorius' current person best of 45.61, which he set earlier this year in South Africa, is just 0.36 off the mark he needs and he will line up in New York against the likes of three-time Olympic gold medallist Jeremy Wariner of America.

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