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Jason Smyth has said he his pleased to be reclassified ahead of World Championships. Morgan Treacy/INPHO

Double Paralympic champion Jason Smyth gets massive boost ahead of tomorrow's World Championships

The Irish athlete has been reclassified.

JASON SMYTH HAS been handed a huge boost ahead of the Paralympic Athletics World Championships in Doha as the sport’s governing body has decided to reclassify the Irish athlete.

Smyth, the reigning double Paralympic and world champion, and Paralympic world record holder at 100m & 200m has been reclassified from the T12 class back to the T13 class.

At last year’s European Championships Smyth was moved to the T12 class following a classification review.

However having now been reinstated as a T13 athelete — the class in which he has competed for his entire career — the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) have acknowledged that a retest may have been the best course of action in 2014.

A spokesperson from the IPC said:

“When Jason Smyth was classified ahead of the European Championships in 2014 he was found to be on the borderline of the T12 and T13 classes.

“All of the results of the assessment placed him in the T12 class. He was however placed under review status. The review was conducted this week and his results were again borderline but all were in the T13 class so he was moved back.

“Vision impairment tests can be influenced by a number of environmental characteristics. As last year’s result came as a surprise to all concerned, the IPC acknowledges that in retrospect it should have asked Smyth to undergo a second classification at that time.”

Jason Smyth celebrates winning gold 7/9/2012 Jason Smyth celebrates winning gold in 2012. Joseph Johnson / INPHO Joseph Johnson / INPHO / INPHO

Smyth himself said he was pleased with the decision.

“It was a surprise to me last year that I had been moved to a T12 and was difficult to deal with, so I’m pleased that my status as a T13 has been clarified and I won’t need another review until 2019.

“However it is disappointing that I definitely won’t have the chance to defend two of my Paralympic titles in Rio as the T13 200m has been removed from the list of Rio medal events by the IPC.

“That said at least I can put all my energies in the 100m and continue to try and run faster and bridge the gap between Paralympic and able bodied sport.”

Smyth is one of a nine strong Irish team competing in Doha. Discus thrower and World Championship debutant Niamh McCarthy gets the Irish challenge underway on Friday afternoon in her final with Smyth and fellow double Paralympic champion Michael McKillop both in semi-final action later that afternoon.

The full Irish schedule for the ten day long event can be viewed here

Over 1,400 athletes from 100 countries are set to compete in 214 medal events in Doha, which will be held in the 12,000 capacity Suhaim Bin Hamam stadium in the Qatar Sports Club.

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    Mute James
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    Dec 17th 2020, 7:02 PM

    I remember the big battles with Dundalkfc only a couple of years ago. The people of Cork should get behind there team before it’s to late

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    Mute running man
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    Dec 17th 2020, 7:55 PM

    @James: Might be too late at this stage, no money and looks like no ground either for next season. No one signed up for next season either, can,t see a team of youngsters getting City out of the 1st division. Pity Munster fa did’nt come to some agreement with takeover people. They could have poured thousands into club, bought some new players and got back into premier league. Unfortunately club could now be forced to fold…unless someone with deep pockets and an interest in Cork soccer suddenly appears.

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    Mute James
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    Dec 17th 2020, 9:29 PM

    @running man: would you believe it, I dont like the people that’s running Dundalk FC, the club the let some good players go this week nothing done to the ground. Shamrock Rover will have any player the want big support from the media money behind them, Cork Gaa were in trouble with there ground the gaa sorted it, where is the FAI to help Cork City FC

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    Mute alphasully
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    Dec 18th 2020, 12:26 PM

    @James: they poured all their money into Delaney

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    Mute Ollie McBurnie
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    Dec 17th 2020, 8:57 PM

    Would love to know the terms of the lease that were rejected. We should be giving them the ground based on their willingness to help. Cork city has too much history to go away like this and I hope the real people get involved soon to rescue the club.

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    Mute Lad
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    Dec 17th 2020, 10:53 PM

    @Ollie McBurnie: Cork City FC don’t own the ground, how could you expect someone to just give it away. Unfortunately this is an outcome of what was years of forced short term planning. The sad thing is that Cork City FC have contributed so much to the redevelopment of the stadium by leasing it.

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    Mute Bernard Mc Donnell
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    Dec 17th 2020, 8:58 PM

    Getting used to flip flopping as a club and an entity, hard to feel sorry for a club and a county who dont care.

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    Mute Eric Murphy
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    Dec 17th 2020, 9:18 PM

    @Bernard Mc Donnell: dont care? Theres bigger things going on right now mate than locals to be financially carrying a football club

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    Mute IrishOwl
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    Dec 17th 2020, 9:29 PM

    @Bernard Mc Donnell: and you know this of everyone in the County yea ? Clown.

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    Mute alphasully
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    Dec 18th 2020, 12:28 PM

    @Bernard Mc Donnell: why should the county care, take a look at the clubs name.

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    Mute cork rebel
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    Dec 17th 2020, 11:25 PM

    I wanted to make a. Commetnhere about the mfa but im not allowed as. Its don3d as toxic. Toxic is a very good word for the mfa. It says it all

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    Mute Barry Looney
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    Dec 17th 2020, 10:21 PM

    What a s@&t show !

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