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Smyth ruing his performance at the World Championships in Daegu earlier this year. http://www.lvrj.com/health/las-vegas-man-suffering-from-100-pound-scrotum-needs-1-million-for-surgery-131962533.html
Jason Smyth

Smyth credits Gay with Olympic improvement

Irish Olympic and Paralympic athlete Jason Smyth has credited the assistance of his winter training partner, sprinter Tyson Gay, with his rapid improvement in recent seasons.

WHEN IT COMES first-hand knowledge of sprinting, few can claim to have experience more valuable than that of Tyson Gay. In fact, only man has ever run faster than the current 100m silver medallist.

It’s should come as little surprise, then, to learn that the performances of Ireland’s Jason Smyth have improved significantly since the Derry-born athlete began spending his winter training period in the American’s company.

At the end of each of the last three seasons, the Paralympic T13 100m and 200m champion has decamped to Florida where he’s had the pleaure of sharing facilities with Gay.

He explained the benefits during an interview with Sportsbeat.

“He’s such a nice guy and very down to earth. I have benefited a lot from being there with him and when he tells you something it’s a little different because he is talking from an athlete’s point of view.

“He’s happy to tell me if there is something he feels I could tweak slightly or what can work for him and that’s very useful.”

Smyth, who suffers a visual impairment caused by Stargardt’s disease, is fighting to join Oscar Pistorius in becoming the first sprinters to compete at both the Paralympics and Olympics in the same year.

With a personal best a mere four hundredths of a second short of the qualifying threshold, the Irish international is cautiously optimistic about his chances of making history next summer.

“I don’t see a problem in preparing for the Paralympics and the Olympics. I don’t really think about it as peaking for one event, I’m pretty good at maintaining my form.”

Read the full interview from Sportsbeat>

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