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Ireland basks in further Paralympic glory tonight, as Jason Smyth confirmed his place as the fastest Paralympic athlete in the world when he achieved gold in the T13 100m final of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Jason already holds two Paralympic gold medals in the T13 100m and 200m Mens Sprint events in Beijing in 2008. He set two world records in Beijing and his superb win this evening means he has set a new world record in the T13 100m event.

Jason’s win this evening is Ireland's 50th Paralympic medal and his third gold medal for Paralympic athletics.

Speaking after tonight’s Final, Minister Varadkar said:

From the outset, Jason had been tipped by the International Paralympic Committee as ‘the one to watch’. He is a technically gifted sprinter whose achievements to date have garnered huge media attention worldwide. His final this evening was watched with great anticipation and I wish to warmly congratulate him on achieving gold for Ireland in the T13 100m Final. It's been a wonderful day for Team Ireland and I hope Jason enjoys every moment of his superb win.

Minister Ring said:

Jason's wonderful win is testament to the months of preparation, hard training, dedication and commitment it takes to compete among the world’s best. We are tremendously proud of his achievement, as I know are his family, friends, coaches and everyone in Team Ireland. Achieving a gold medal for sporting achievement on an international stage is exceptional. I wish Jason every success in 200m event and we will all be watching with interest as he seeks to retain his 200m title.