from Athletic Northern Ireland website Ulster sporting heroes Jason Smyth and Sean Cavanagh have enjoyed magical years. And the good times just keep on coming for the Paralympic athlete and Tyrone gaelic footballer with both being chosen to receive the 2008 Texaco Sportstars Awards in this, the 51st year of the event.
They join six other illustrious sports people in Kenny Egan (boxing), Pádraig Harrington (golf), Aidan O’Brien (Horse Racing), Eoin Larkin (Hurling), Briege Corkery (Ladies’ Gaelic Football) and Ronan O’Gara (rugby).
The winners are chosen from a shortlist of 16 sports by sports editors representing print and broadcast media, both north and south.
Commenting, Enda Riney, Country Chairman, Chevron (Ireland) Limited said: “We are delighted that 2008 has produced such a distinguished list of winners, many of whom have achieved fame and success on the world stage.”
The awards will be presented at a ceremony to be held in Dublin on Wednesday, November 19 at which An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen TD will officiate.
Athletics: Jason Smyth
In Athletics, the award goes to Paralympian Jason Smyth.
In the same manner that Usain Bolt astonished the world during the Olympic Games in Beijing with a record-breaking, double-gold sprint double, Jason replicated these successes in the Paralympics held in the same city some weeks later when two 21-year-olds – one from Jamaica, the other from Derry – left the world in their wake.
If the name Jason Smyth was not on everyone’s lips before the Paralympics, his talent had been noted in the athletics world when he went to the Irish Schools Championships in Tullamore two
years ago and won the sprint double.
And it was only afterwards that his coach, Stephen Maguire, explained that Smyth was suffering from Stargardt’s Disease, a hereditary degenerative visual impairment that can affect central vision, though not always peripheral vision.
Given his outstanding talent and his total dedication to his sport, it is now eminently possible that Jason will be setting his sights on the Olympic Games in London, and maybe the two sprint stars of Beijing 2008 will get to face the starter’s gun, side-by-side, in four years time.