from Athletics Northern Ireland Double Paralympic gold medalist Jason Smyth has sent out a plea to be included in the 150 metre street race in Manchester with triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt on May 17. It will be the Jamaican’s first race in Europe this year and part of his build up to the World Championships in Berlin this August. “I am very excited to compete for my first time in Manchester, my first time in a 150m race and my first time in a street race,” said Bolt. “When I heard about the idea I thought it would be great fun and something new and exciting.
Hopefully this event will be the start of many more similar events all over the world and inspire kids to take up athletics.”
British sprinters Mark Lewis-Francis and Simeon Williamson have already been signed up and Smyth is keen to prove himself in open competition.
“It’s every athlete’s dream to run against Usain Bolt but I don’t want to be pigeon-holed after the Paralympics. I have always competed primarily in open competition and my ambitions are mainly in that arena,” said the Eglinton sprinter who was a medalist in the 2007 Irish Senior 100 metres.
There would be an additional edge to the clash for Smyth, an avid Liverpool supporter, in that Bolt is a follower of arch rivals Manchester United.
“I am also looking forward to going to Old Trafford to support my team,” said the Jamaican. “I’ve wanted to come to a match for a long time and am delighted to get the opportunity.”
Meanwhile Smyth is off to Florida on Monday for two months to finalise his preparations for a hectic season which may include an appearance at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin.
The World governing body, the IAAF, intend to include a 200 metres for disabled athletes for the first time and it is likely that Smyth’s T13 category will be chosen for the event
“The season begins in May and then it will be
full speed ahead until August. They have added a 200 metres for disabled athletes at the World Athletics Championships and if it is my category I will run it.
“It is on the 21st August and it will be my last race. If it is not my category I will close up the season two weeks earlier,” he revealed.
While in the US, Smyth will staying at the National Training Centre which is nestled in the hills of Clermont, Florida located 20 minutes west of Orlando and 15 minutes north of Disney, Universal, Sea World and other tourist attractions.
Smyth will be working with top American coach Lance Brauman who guided Veronica Campbell to a bronze medal in Beijing and is the former mentor to World champion Tyson Gay.
The Manchester event will televised live as part of the BBC’s Great Manchester Run highlights show on BBC2. Earlier in the day Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie will be bidding to regain his BUPA Great Manchester Run title which he won in 2007 with a then record time of 27 minutes 25 seconds.