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European Athletics Championships final night
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Mark English won European 800m gold in 1:45.26, surging past Marino Bloudek.
Historic win ends his 12-year medal drought, highlighting Ireland's growing athletics success.
Background
The European Athletics Championships in Birmingham featured a dramatic final night with multiple medal events. Mark English, an Irish middle-distance runner, had previously won bronze in 2014 and 2022 but never gold. His victory was a highlight for Ireland, alongside Rhasidat Adeleke's silver in the 200m.
How it unfolded
- Thu, 13 Aug 2026Mark English wins European 800m gold in Birmingham, beating Croatia's Marino Bloudek with a time of 1:45.26.
- Thu, 13 Aug 2026Rhasidat Adeleke takes silver in the women's 200m, setting a new Irish record of 22.28, just 0.01 ahead of Dina Asher-Smith.
- Fri, 14 Aug 2026Nadia Battocletti wins the 10,000m title, completing a middle-distance double after her 5,000m gold. Karsten Warholm sets a championship record in the 400m hurdles.
- Sun, 16 Aug 2026Police arrest a man on suspicion of fraud after a security incident at the championships.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- The championships were a success, with multiple records and historic wins.
- Analysts
- English's win was a breakthrough after years of near-misses, signaling a new era for Irish middle-distance running.
- Public
- Fans celebrated English's long-awaited gold and Adeleke's record-breaking performance.