IRISH 100m sprinter Jason Smyth has defended his title as the fastest para-athlete in the world.
The Derry native won a 100m race in Rio on Monday evening at a festival that marked one year until the start of the 2016 Paralympic Games.
The four-time Paralympic gold medallist recorded a time of 10.73 seconds in a race that involved sprinters of mixed disability classes.
"I am very pleased with the result and even more so because so many people came to watch," Smyth said.
Smyth – who holds the 100m world record of 10.46 seconds in the T13 class for visually impaired athletes – beat Richard Browne of the US and Brazil’s Petrucio Ferreira to win the race.
"It was fantastic. The event was very well organised and I'm sure that Rio is on the right track for next year," he added.
Smyth won 100m and 200m gold at the Beijing Paralympics in 2008 and London Paralympics in 2012. He will aim to defend his titles in Rio 2016.
