The 25-year-old visually impaired sprinter from Derry is one of the most high-profile disability athletes in the world and underlined status as "the fastest Paralympian on the planet" at London 2012 when he claimed victories in both the men's 100 and 200 metres T13 to replicate his double gold medal performance from Beijing 2008.

But despite his huge profile in Paralympic sport, Smyth will not compete in the London Anniversary Games at the Olympic Stadium later this year.

The London Anniversary Games will consist of an International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Diamond League meet on July 26 and 27 with a one-off International Paralympic Committee (IPC) International Challenge on the final day on July 28.

But while the likes of Jamaica's six-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt and Britain's Paralympic champion Jonnie Peacock will be in attendance, Smyth will not be present and has expressed his frustration at not being invited to run.

"I've heard absolutely nothing about the Anniversary Games," said Smyth, who narrowly missed out on qualifying for the London 2012 Olympics.

"You would expect if they want to push Paralympic sport forward and make it more recognised that logically, you would use the best athletes to promote it.

"You are going to have the Olympic athletes competing just before the Paralympic day and you are going to invite the Usain Bolts and the other top athletes.

"To me, Paralympic sport should be no different.

"To come out of last year's games as the fastest Paralympian on the planet – isn't that somebody you would think you would want to have at the Anniversary Games?

"In the UK and Ireland everybody knew about the Paralympics and coming out of it; I had the two gold medals and couldn't really have done any more than that.

"After that, I suppose you expect things to gather a bit of momentum but it has been completely the opposite; nothing has changed."


But British Athletics, who are organising the event, say it was too difficult to make room for Smyth's T13 class event at the London Anniversary Games.

"Working with the IPC we only have a three-four hour programme on July 28 and so unfortunately we have to be selective about the events we choose," a British Athletics spokesperson told insidethegames.

"We would love to be able to invite more athletes to compete but under the current schedule we only have time to host 18 events, including one men's and one women's 100m.

"The Sainsbury's Anniversary Games has been created to celebrate the success of London 2012 one year on and one of the most memorable moments from the Paralympic Games was Jonnie Peacock's famous 100m victory on 'Thriller Thursday', so it makes sense for us to include his race in the schedule."

The IPC have also defended the decision not to include a T13 sprint race for Smyth.

"At London 2012 we had 170 different track and field events spread over 10 days," IPC communications and media director Craig Spence told insidethegames.

"This included 15 men's 100m races involving different classes.

"For the Sainsbury's Anniversary Games, which is a one day event for Para-athletics, we're limited to 18 events covering track and field for both men and women.

"Clearly we cannot include every single event from London 2012 in the programme which was proposed by British Athletics and approved by IPC Athletics.

"Unfortunately we are aware that there will be some disappointed athletes.

"However they can now focus fully on July's World Championships in Lyon, France."

Smyth will be the overwhelming favourite to secure gold at the 2013 IPC World Athletics Championships in Lyon after missing the 2011 edition of the event in Christchurch through injury.

He will also be targeting the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Moscow three weeks later where he will look to compete against the world's top able-bodied stars such as Bolt.

The B standard for Moscow is 10.21sec - which is 00.01sec inside Smyth's lifetime best.

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