World’s fastest Paralympian Smyth targeting double Doha 2015 gold

“Other athletes like to race and race and race, but for me I just know I don’t need loads of races to get going; I like to know where I am at in training. It is a bit of being around and knowing what works for me. "

Irish sprint star Jason Smyth believes his training regime – and the confidence that comes with years of experience as well as multiple Paralympic, world and European titles – will set him up perfectly as he goes for gold once again at October’s IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Smyth, dubbed the ‘fastest Paralympian in the world’, is yet to compete on the track this year, but with nearly 10 years of world class racing behind him, he knows what works best for him. And for the 28-year-old, that means less is often more.

“What works for each athlete is different. I know from the last few years when I raced quite a lot early on in April and May, I always opened up relatively quickly. So I’m happy to get where I need to be in training, and then I know I can put it out in a race,” he explained.

“Other athletes like to race and race and race, but for me I just know I don’t need loads of races to get going; I like to know where I am at in training. It is a bit of being around and knowing what works for me.

“October is still three months away which is a long way away – you’ve also got to keep in mind Rio next year. I would normally compete up to September, take a few weeks off then start getting back in to it, but this year you’re knocking the cycle back a month or two so it’s about being smart and doing what works for you.”

Injury concerns have also played a significant part in Smyth’s training regime and race plans. Back in early 2013 he was in the gym when he banged his knee lifting weights. Since then he has had to adapt his training – even simple things like squatting initially posed a problem.

The injury also impacted on competitions – although it did not stop the Londonderry-born man securing double gold at the World Championships in 2013, and then again at the European Championships in 2014 - to add to the double Paralympic golds he won at both the Beijing Games in 2008, then at London 2012.

But, mindful of both this year’s World Championships and next year’s Paralympic Games, Smyth knew that he had to give himself every chance of being in the best possible condition.

“Since 2012 I’ve had issues with injuries. Last year I raced early then got injuries – not anything serious, but enough that I would only be able to be at 95 per cent - which is the difference between where you want to be and where you are at. Like all these things you spend time trying to figure out the problem to make sure you solve it. This year we’ve spent a lot of time and made sure we’ve got it right.

“I feel I’m in a good place because I’m now training - and I’m training without problems. I just want to get back to 100 per cent. In that respect I’m happy with where I am at, and now I’m able to continue building on the foundations and get to where I have been at in the past – and hopefully further.”

Smyth, who won his last World Championship gold medals in the T13 class, now competes as a T12 athlete. His 100m and 200m T13 world records remain unbeaten – but the 100m T12 world record of 10.66 belongs to Azerbaijan’s Elchin Muradov – set back in 2010, whilst Poland’s Mateusz Michalski clinched Paralympic gold over 200m in 2012 with a world record time of 21.56.

Beating those records – in fact, even knowing what they are - is not a priority for Smyth, although he acknowledges that the times are well within his reach.

“I’ve run under those times many times so I’d hope to run quicker than both of them, but I don’t worry too much about trying to break world records,” he explained. “I worry about making sure I do the things I need to do to run that fast – get my training right, execute my races right – and then the times come. At major championships it doesn’t matter what time anybody runs, it’s about beating the people ahead of you or beside you. I go into championships just making sure I finish ahead of people and the times have come off the back of running well.”

For Smyth, personal targets are all important – and he believes there is still more to come:

“I want to be the best I can possibly be. I don’t feel I have run as quickly as I possibly can yet. I’m not talking about running under 10 seconds, I’m just trying to be better than I have been, and if I can get to the end of my career and look back and realise ‘Jason Smyth, you reached your full potential and you’ve been able to win ‘x’ amount of medals, and you have done everything you possibly could’ – that for me will be what I would like.”

Jason Smyth will be one of 1,400 athletes competing at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha, Qatar between 22-31 October. Visit the event website here.