Smyth runs 10.24 for Olympic B and Euro A Standard while PBs at BMC
Paralympic star Jason Smyth missed out on achieving the 100 metres Olympic standard as he clocked the B standard in a time of 10.24 seconds in Florida on Saturday.
Smyth's time was six one-hundredths of a second [.06] outside the Olympic A standard in the meeting at the National Training Centre in Clermont. The time is an A standard for the European Championships in Finland.
The Northern Irishman will chase the London standard again at meetings in the US over the next three weeks. Smyth, 24, trains alongside Tyson Gay at the Clermont venue.
The Derryman's set his personal best of 10.22 at the same track a year ago and Saturday's run is his second fastest ever 100m.
Earlier, Smyth had clocked a wind-assisted 10.23 in the heats in Saturday's meeting.
"I'm delighted with that. It's a fantastic season opener for him," said Smyth's coach Stephen Maguire. "He made a few mistakes in both races so there's more to come."
Like South African star Oscar Pistorius, Smyth's main career ambition is to compete at both this year's Olympic and Paralympic Games in London.
He competes in Orlando next week before racing again at the Clermont venue on 2 June. The 24-year-old has also received an invitation to the Diamond League meeting in New York on 9 June.
BMC Grand Prix
Jason Smyth's teammate Michael McKillop (St. Malachy's) opened his season with a 1500m personal best of 3.52.19. McKillop recently set a World Record in the same event of 3:59.54 at the Visa London Disability Athletics Challenge in the Olympic Stadium. McKillop will compete at the NI & Ulster Senior Championships on June 4th.
Daniel Mooney continued his recent good form with a PB in the 1500m B race with 3:44.83. Ciara Mageean looked to be getting back to her previous form with finished 3rd in a seasons best of 4:15.75 in a competitive 1500m race behind Laura Weightman 4:09.42 and Jessica Judd 4:15.12.
There were seasons best for Pajo Hamilton in the 800m (1:55.20), Steven Morrow (1:53.71) and Cathal Logue (2:02.40), in the 1500m Conor Bradley (3:47.80) and in the 5000m Shane Kerr (15:29.08) followed by cousin Stephen Kerr (15:29.41).
City of Derry's Declan Reed set new figures in the 5000m D race for second place in 14:55.66 followed by teammate John Paul Williamson in 2nd (15:12.12) and Emmet McGinty (15:23.52), all also PBs.
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