Mark English delivered on his huge potential with a fearless finishing sprint down the home straight in the European Athletics Championships at a packed Letzigrund arena last night to capture bronze in the 800m in 1:45.03.

Mark English is Ireland’s latest sporting hero, winning bronze in the men’s 800m at the European Athletics Championships in Zurich.

Robert Heffernan will face a stiff challenge to win the European 50km race walk title on the streets of Zurich this morning but his wife and coach, Marian, believes he’s in as good a shape as ever.

Mark English put to bed a glum night for Ireland at the European Athletics Championships in Zurich, by qualifying for Friday ngiht’s final of the men’s 800 metres – but it was a close-run thing.

The United States finished top of the medals table at the World Indoors in Sopot, rounding off the Games in suitably emphatic style by claiming the week’s only world record, in the men’s 4x400m relay.

It was always going to be a tough ask for the five Irish athletes to progress from their respective heats on day one of the World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland yesterday, and so it proved, with none of the quintet able to make it to a final.

France’s Teddy Tamgho today improved his own world record in the triple jump on his way to victory in the European Indoor Championships in Paris.

Ireland's Ailis McSweeney and Darren McBrearty were run out of contention in their respective semi-finals at the European Indoor Championships in Paris.