The Eglinton flyer will settle into his blocks in the Olympic Stadium alongside the continent's elite at approximately 7.50 p.m. tonight in heat five of the first round 100 metre event, becoming the first ever Parlaympic athlete to compete at a European Athletics Championships.

The 23-year-old Irish international will need to draw on all his experience from 2008's incredible Olympic gold double at 100m and 200m in front of 90,000 spectators at the Bird's Nest Arena in Beijing when he steps out into the famous Spanish stadium.

Facing a strong field in his first round heat which includes talented French prospect, Christophe Lemaitre who broke the 10-second barrier at the French national championships earlier this month and the experienced Mark-Lewis Francis (Great Britain), Smyth will certainly be up against it as he attempts to progress to the second round.
However the City of Spartan, having recently overcome a niggling hamstring injury, insists he won't be daunted and is confident he can emerge as one of the top four qualifiers from the heat.

"Everything's gone fine in preparation," Smyth said yesterday.
"I've managed to overcome the injury to an extent that I'm able to run fast, you never quite get rid of the injury completely when your training constantly.

"It dosen't really matter who's in the heat, it's all about how I perform on the day," he added. "There is no easy heat at the European Championships, I know the French guy has run sub 10 secs but it'll be all down to me at the end of the day.

"I'm not really bothered about how fast I run, I'm just concentrating on beating the rest of the field. If I run to my potential then I should make it through to the second round.

"I've already experienced the big stage in Beijing. I know it was only the Paralympics and it's not as big a thing but when you've already experienced 90,000 people cheering, it's a great experience to have behind you to draw on.

"Normally if your coming into the European Championships for the first time it could be very daunting but I know what it's all about and have experienced the atmosphere."

Ranked joint 37th in Europe with his 10.32 seconds clocking, Smyth clocked up times of 10.41 and 10.43 at a meeting in France last week, but he is aiming for closer to the wind-assisted 10.27s he posted earlier this season.

"It's hard to tell what time will take me through, it comes down to a lot of factors like the conditions and how other performances go on the day. I might have to get a personal best.

"In all the majors it's not always about running a personal best but about beating the other people. Obviously you have to run fast to be in with a chance but I'm sure I'll be fine."

Temperatures in Barcelona could hit highs of 40 degrees and most of the athletes travelled to Spain early to acclimatise. But Smyth, who contracted Stargardt's disease when he was eight years-old - a genetic disorder leading to a reduction in his vision - will no doubt benefit from his warm weather training in Orlando, Florida where he shares a track with one of the world's fastest men, Tyson Gay.

"The heat is not much of a problem. It's a bit more normal for me because it's what I'm used to. Everybody finds it hot but I'm able to cope with it a bit more, it's what I've been training in."

Smyth believes his experience in Barcelona this week will provide a massive step in his progression towards the London Olympics in 2012.
"I'll be going out there and enjoying it. It's a nice stepping stone, with the Europeans and then the World Championships and then the Olympics the following year. So hopefully I can keep it up," he concluded.

Also part of Donegal man, Patsy McGonagle's Irish squad is Finn Valley's Tori Pena, the Californian-born pole vaulter who holds dual Irish-American citizenship as her grandmother hails from Derry.

"Declaring for Ireland gives me a great opportunity to compete at such a high level and gain competitive experience," said Pena. "I hope to compete well and set a new Irish record this week. It's been a dream for me to represent Ireland."