Smyth qualifies fastest for 200m final on first day of action at IPC Athletics World Championships

Paralympic champion, Derry's Jason Smyth made light work of his T13 200m semi-final at the Stadium of Parilly in sunny Lyon today, qualifying fasted for tomorrow's final. Smyth was Ireland's first athlete in action at the World Championships and ran a qualifying time of 21.57. Smyth's closest qualifier was the surprise packet of Nambala Johannes of Namibia in a time of 21.80 and Russian Alexander Zverev in 22.39.

Smyth, who missed the 2011 Championships in New Zealand due to injury laid down a strong marker to all his opponents that he is determined to secure the titles he last won in Assen in 2006. Following the semi-final he said: "I was delighted with the time and felt very relaxed out there. It was good to get my Championships off to such a positive start and I'm looking forward to the final tomorrow."

Head of Paralympic Athletics in Ireland, James Nolan, commented: "Jason said he was going to relax into the competition, when athletes do so they run faster, that was very clear from his performance today. Indications are that he can run faster tomorrow and perhaps challenge his own world record mark."

The Irish team have a busy day tomorrow with five athletes in action. In the morning session defending F51 Discus Champion and London 2012 silver medalist, Wexford's Catherine O'Neill will start things off. Orla Barry from Cork commences her championship in her weaker shot putt event. She will be targetting a medal in the discus later in the week. On the track, Ireland's youngest team member Heather Jameson will compete in the semi-final of the T37 200m.
The evening session will be keenly awaited as both Jason Smyth and Antrim's Michael McKillop seek gold medals in the T13 200m and T37 800m finals respectively.