DERRY-born sprinting star Jason Smyth has cemented his status as the world's fastest Paralympian after he won a sixth gold medal.
The 34-year-old won the men's 100m - T13 on day five of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games yesterday.
Smyth, who competes for Ireland, beat Algeria's Skander Djamil Athmani by one-hundredth of a second to clinch his win in a time of 10.53 seconds.
The visually-impaired athlete won double gold in Beijing and London in the 100m and 200m before retaining the T13 100m title in Rio.
The International Paralympic Committee dropped the 200m event from the T13 programme in Rio and Tokyo.
Smyth said he had struggled with injuries over the last year..
"I knew I was up against it," he told RTÉ.
"When I reflect back on this year I had probably one of the toughest years in quite a while with injuries.
"Nine months ago I was wondering is this me done? Three months ago I was wondering would I be at the games and be able to be at this level.
"We got things right and they came together right at the right time."
Smyth, who has won 21 major titles during his career, could compete in the Paris games in 2024.
Following his win, he thanked his coaching and training team for their help.
He also thanked his wife and two daughters, saying the demands of high-level sport have meant he has not seen them since July 10.
"A huge amount of work and sacrifice goes in by so many people," he said.
Smyth's win came after Newtownards swimmer Bethany Firth won a gold medal in the 4x100m freestyle team relay - her fifth Paralympic gold.
The gold medal came just days after Firth won a silver in the S14 200m freestyle.
The Team GB athlete narrowly missed out to Valeriia Shabalina from the Russian Paralympic Committee.
Before arriving in Tokyo, Firth had said she was determined to enjoy her racing after being forced to train in a paddling pool in her back garden during last year's repeated lockdowns.
"After this year I just decided that I wanted to swim for fun so I'm going to see how my times are," she said.
"I'm so excited to get back into proper training and hopefully go to Paris (for the Paralympics in 2024)."
The First Minister and Deputy First Minister have praised Smyth and Firth's impressive achievements.
First Minister Paul Givan said: "The day after Bethany Firth wins her fifth gold medal at the Paralympic Games, Jason is winning his sixth.
"It is once again my pleasure to be applauding an athlete who ranks among the best we have ever produced."
Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said Firth "is a world-class sportswoman and a real inspiration to aspiring athletes".
She added: "Huge congratulations to Jason Smyth on his fantastic victory in Tokyo, winning his sixth Paralympics gold medal.
"What an outstanding record for a truly remarkable athlete who has once again shown his calibre on the world stage."
