Mark English wins Ireland's first European Athletics gold in 800m final

Mark English of Ireland won the men's 800m at the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, clocking 1:45.26 to beat Croatia's Marino Bloudek. The 33-year-old from Donegal became the first Irishman to claim European gold. He had broken a 48-year-old championship record in the semifinals, running 1:43.49 to surpass Olaf Beyer's 1:43.84 from 1978.