Mark English back on track as World test beckons

Less than two weeks out from the World Championships in London, this was always going to be a fact-finding mission for Ciara Mageean, Mark English, Brian Gregan, and Thomas Barr, and though each of them faced a test of differing degrees of difficulty, they all passed with flying colours.

None was more impressive at the Irish Life Health National Senior Championships in Santry yesterday than English, who had struggled with injury problems in recent weeks but proved once again the permanency of his class, showing off an ample range of gears to sprint away from his rivals in the men’s 800m and win in 1:50.89, the overall time less relevant than a scorching 25-second last 200m.

“To close like that is the territory you need to be in going to a world championships,” he said.