Twenty two minutes was all it took for Mark English and Rhasidat Adeleke to deliver one of the greatest nights Irish athletics has ever witnessed.
English finally claimed the European 800m title that had eluded him throughout his career, becoming the first Irish male athlete to win an individual gold medal at the European Outdoor Championships.
Adeleke then charged through the closing stages of the women’s 200m final to take silver, break her own Irish record and beat Dina Asher Smith to the line by just one hundredth of a second.
If you missed either race, or simply fancy watching them all over again, both unforgettable performances can be viewed below.
Mark English Finally Gets His European Gold
English arrived in Birmingham with five European medals already to his name, but gold remained the one colour missing from his collection.
The 33 year old had looked in the form of his life during the semi final, breaking a 48 year old championship record with a stunning 1:43.49. The final required something very different.
With Croatia’s Marino Bloudek and Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui pushing the pace at the front, English remained patient and resisted the temptation to make his move too early.
That patience paid off. English entered the closing stages perfectly placed before producing the strongest finish in the field. He powered past Bloudek on the home straight and crossed the line in 1:45.26 to claim the biggest victory of his career.
Bloudek took silver in 1:45.62, with Attaoui collecting bronze in 1:45.71.
English became the first Irish male athlete to win an individual European outdoor title. It was also his sixth medal from six European finals across the indoor and outdoor championships, a remarkable record spanning more than a decade.
Rhasidat Adeleke Charges to Silver in Irish Record
Ireland had barely caught its breath before Adeleke stepped onto the track for the women’s 200m final.
Her semi final victory in 22.43 had already suggested that something special was coming. That was her fastest performance of the season by a considerable margin, but she found another level when the medals were on the line.
Racing from lane eight, Adeleke produced a strong bend before beginning to reel in Dina Asher Smith on the home straight. Amy Hunt was clear at the front, but the battle for silver went right to the line.
Adeleke kept coming and edged ahead of Asher Smith in the final strides, stopping the clock at 22.28. Hunt took gold in 22.19, while Asher Smith finished just one hundredth behind Adeleke in 22.29.
The performance lowered Adeleke’s previous Irish record of 22.34, set in 2023, and earned her another major championship medal after her European 400m silver in Rome two years ago. She also joined Sonia O’Sullivan as the only Irish athlete to win European Championship medals in two different individual events.
For English, the victory completed a journey that began with European bronze in Zurich 12 years ago. After five previous European medals, he finally stood on top of the podium.
For Adeleke, the performance confirmed her return to the highest level following a difficult build up to Birmingham. She arrived at the championships with limited racing behind her and left with a silver medal and another Irish record.
Two finals, two medals and twenty two unforgettable minutes for Irish athletics.
