Following the defeat of the rugby team by a strong French side on Saturday, it looked like a poor weekend for Irish sport on the international stage. But Ireland’s athletes had other ideas. Within an hour at the European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn on Sunday , Sarah Healy won a 3,000m gold medal, Kate O’Connor took bronze in the pentathlon and Mark English came through to get his third medal in this event – also a bronze – in the 800m.
They were three very different medals, but they represent great encouragement for Irish athletics. Sarah Healy from Dublin burst on the international scene as a junior when she won double gold in the European Under-18 championships in 2018. Since then she has had her share of injury and bad luck, but triumphed yesterday in a calm and determined performance.
Mark English, from Letterkenny in Co Donegal, has been a great servant of Irish athletics over the years, winning two bronze medals in the European outdoor championships as well as his indoor feats. Always saving his best for the big day, English came through bravely for bronze.
Perhaps most unexpectedly, Kate O’Connor, from Newry and coached in Dundalk by her father ran a stunning final 800m event to jump from fourth to third in the pentathlon.
The three thrilling medal wins are important for Irish athletes, continuing a period of solid progress. Healy’s win could be a defining moment in the career of a very promising athlete. O’Connor’s bronze is Ireland’s first success in a multi-event competition in a major championships and also a boost for field event athletics. English shows the power of perseverance from an athlete who has balanced his sport with a medical career.
Had Sharlene Mawdsley not sustained an unfortunate injury, there might have been even more success, while Sarah Lavin’s fourth in the 60m hurdles was also impressive.
Following the success of Ireland’s relay teams last year, Irish athletics now has new role-models and is again in the news for the right reasons. Investment and talent are paying off.
