Mark English
There was huge disappointment in the men’s 800m at the European U23 Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, where Mark English’s European U23 jinx continued.
Two years ago, he didn’t even make the final. This time, he trailed in a dejected eighth and last. He had started well, moving smartly outside the German Krguer who took the lead at the break. But while the favourite Artur Kuciapski of Poland took the lead, going through the first 400m in 53.55 secs, English – on paper the fastest in the field with a PB from 2013 0of 1:44.84 – drifted to the back. His head bobbed and he seemed close to stopping as the field ran away from him in the finishing straight. His time was 1:50.42 over five seconds off his best.
English had not looked his usual assertive self either in the heats or semi-finals, and while he has been making no excuses, there is clearly something not right. Running a brave race for sixth in 1:48.79 was Karl Griffin.
Highlight of the day was a new Irish U23 record in the men’s 4 x 100 by the quartet of Jonathan Browning, Eanna Madden, Kieran Elliott and Marcus Lawler. Anchored by Lawler, the team finished fifth in 39.89 secs, breaking the record of 40.11 secs they had set in the heats earlier in the day.
A baton mix-up at the end of the first leg saw the Irish women failing to finish in the final of the 4 x 100m. In the heats, the Irish team of Sarah McCarthy, Cliodhna Manning, Sarah Lavin and Phil Healy had set a new Irish U23 record of 55.68 secs.
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