Historic national record for English in Hengelo, while Comerford continues winning form
Hopes were high heading into Sunday evening as two of Ireland’s finest athletes lined out at the FBK Games in Hengelo, a World Continental Tour Gold meet. With the weather pleasant and a fast track underfoot, both Orla Comerford and Mark English delivered in style, winning their respective events in what proved to be a memorable evening for Irish athletics in the Netherlands.
Comerford Makes It Two From Two Over 100m
Orla Comerford made it back-to-back wins over 100 metres this evening in Hengelo, following up her victory at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Paris last week with another commanding sprint performance. Clocking 11.96 seconds (just 0.06 off her personal best) ,the Raheny Shamrocks athlete dipped under the 12-second mark and very comfortably saw off the field in what was a mixed classification para 100m race. Among those lining up was reigning Olympic champion Fleur Jong, the T64 100m gold medallist from Paris 2024, but Comerford had too much on the night, powering clear to take the win in style. It’s now two 100m races, two wins, and a flying start to the 2025 season for the 27-year-old Paralympic bronze medallist.
Historic Milestone for Irish Athletics as Mark English Shatters National Record
What a season Mark English is having. The 32-year-old Donegal man from Finn Valley Athletics Club is tearing up the track so far in the 2025 outdoor season, and tonight’s outing in Hengelo was his most impressive yet. English clinched victory in the 800m event with a blistering 1:43.92, smashing the Irish national record yet again and dipping under the elusive 1:44 barrier, a feat achieved by just 16 athletes worldwide so far this season. He went into the season already holding the record at 1:44.53, and has now lowered it twice in less than two weeks. It all kicked off with a season-opening win at TrackFest in Los Angeles on May 24th. A week later, he trimmed the record to 1:44.34 in Poland. He was performing reasonably well in Rovereto last week before pulling up late on, but bounced back tonight in serious style. Sitting in third coming off the final bend, English held his nerve, surged down the home straight, and turned it on over the last 30 metres to snatch victory.
Results
Orla Comerford – Women’s Mixed Classification Para 100m – 1st – 11.96
Mark English – Men’s 800m – 1st – 1:43.92
Images: Perri Williams
