Smyth, who competes for the Republic of Ireland, is due to defend two Paralympic sprint titles in London next summer and is close to the qualifying time for the Olympic Games.

The 24-year old-has been training at the National Training Centre in Clermont alongside the likes of former world 100 and 200 metres champion Tyson Gay and though Smyth's participation in London next year has been threatened by a series of injuries, he says he has been doing extra rehabilitation work in Florida to overcome them.

Despite that, he recorded a 100m time of 10.22sec – just a fraction off the Olympic A standard – in Florida last May to emphasise his Olympic credentials.

Along with fellow Paralympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius, Smyth won a place at the Daegu World Athletics Championships this summer where he missed out on a semi-final place.

The sprinter, who has Stargardt's Disease, a condition that affects his vision, was the first ever Paralympian to compete at a European Championships in Barcelona 2010 but was disappointed with his result in Daegu.

"This time last year, when I was injured, I would have grabbed with two hands the chance to run 10.22 and go to the World Championships," he said.

"But the flip side of that is that once you are going through the season, you wish things could have been better and that I got the A standard if maybe I'd got a clearer run at things.

"Looking at last season, I could have run the standard if things had gone well.

"This year is the same.

"I will start racing a little bit earlier [in late April] just to give myself every opportunity."

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