Mark English wins historic European 800m gold in 1:45.26

Mark English secured a historic gold medal in the men's 800m at the European Championships, clocking a time of 1:45.26. The Irishman became the first male athlete from his country to win a gold medal at these championships. He finished ahead of Croatia's Marino Bloudek, who took silver in 1:45.62, and Spain's Mohamed Attaoui, who claimed bronze in 1:45.71.

The final was marked by the sudden withdrawal of Great Britain's Max Burgin. Burgin pulled out of the event less than 15 minutes before the start due to a hamstring issue sustained during his warm-up. The race itself developed into a tactical affair, with the first lap completed in 53.4 seconds.

English, competing in his sixth European final, positioned himself closely behind the leaders throughout the race. While Mohamed Attaoui led the first lap and Bloudek moved into the pole position at the bell, English remained on their shoulders. As the runners entered the home straight, English accelerated past Bloudek to claim the victory.

This win follows a strong summer for the 33-year-old, who previously broke the championship record during Wednesday's semi-final. English has a history of success at this level, having earned a bronze medal at age 21 in 2014 and finishing third in Munich in 2022. He credited his success to recent changes, including working with a new coach, Justin Rinaldi.

Behind the podium finishers, David Barroso of Spain took fourth in 1:45.75, followed by Italy's Francesco Pernici in fifth at 1:45.77. Great Britain's Ben Pattison finished sixth with a time of 1:46.14. Pattison noted that his legs lacked the necessary strength to execute his usual late sprint during the final 100m.