English remains Ireland's best hope at World Indoors

The Irish record holder will get his championships under way in the 800m heats this afternoon, but with a large field set to be reduced to just six, making the final will require something special.

Fri, 18 Mar, 2022 - 02:00

Cathal Dennehy

The World Indoors have traditionally been a fruitful championship for the Irish, with 10 medals from 17 past editions. The last one came in 2006 via Derval O’Rourke, who won 60m hurdles gold in Moscow. Even if looking at this year’s edition through an optimistic, green-tinted lens, it’s hard to see any medals for the Irish, with personal bests and high placings the key metrics of success.

If there is an athlete with the class and championship calibre to make an impact, it’s Mark English, who has three European medals (two indoor, one outdoor) to his name. The Irish record holder will get his championships under way in the 800m heats this afternoon, but with a large field set to be reduced to just six, making the final will require something special.