Ireland have won three medals at the European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn. Sarah Healy won gold in the women’s 3,000m and Mark English took bronze in the men’s 800m final before a superb run in the 800m saw Kate O’Connor climb the rankings to earn the bronze medal in the women’s pentathlon.
Healy put in a brilliant race to hit the front exactly when it mattered most, the Dubliner outsprinting Britain’s Melissa Courtney-Bryant, the fastest European this season, to win in 8:52.86.
The 24-year-old, who twice broke the Irish record at the distance last month, kept herself in a prominent position throughout, with Salome Afonso from Portugal, who had placed second in the 1,500m on Friday night, finishing third.
With seven runners still in contention approaching the bell, Healy moved into third, biding her time before striking to claim a first gold medal for Ireland at these championships since David Gillick won the 400m for the second time in 2007.
“It’s amazing,” Healy said after the final. “And to have so many Irish people here was so special, for my first ever [senior] medal. That was so nice.”
“I knew I had an opportunity today to win a medal, and to win gold, but I didn’t want to put too much expectation on it, and just try to race the best I could. I knew a medal would be great, it was a messy race, I had to wait until the last 100m, but so glad it worked out.
“I think I spent the first 2k trying to stay on my feet, then at 600m I was in a good spot, and still ended up waiting, just trying to hold my form, I’ve really been working on that.”
Ireland’s Kate O’Connor celebrates winning bronze in the women’s pentathlon. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
On the way to earning Ireland’s first ever senior multi-event medal, O’Connor ran a lifetime best of 2:11.42 in the final event of the pentathlon, the 800m.
The time was enough to bring the 24-year-old’s total to 4781 points, improving on her previous Irish record of 4683, and moving ahead of Britain’s Jade O’Dowda, who finished fourth with 4751 points after only managing seventh in the 800m, running 2:15.91.
The gold medal went to Finland’s Saga Vanninen, who produced a world-leading total of 4922 points. Dutch athlete Sofie Dokter took silver with 4826 points.
Coached in Dundalk by her father Michael, O’Connor set three personal bests in three of the four earlier events, smashing her time in the 60m hurdles with 8.31, which she followed up with 1.84m in the high jump.
Ireland’s Mark English celebrates after the men’s 800m final. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
In the men’s 800m, English, a week shy of turning 32, called on his experience and brilliant racing brain to move from fifth to third on the last lap, holding off the fast-finishing Catalin Tecuceanu from Italy in the process.
Samuel Chapple was the surprise winner, roared on by the home crowd, running a Dutch record of 1:44.88, ahead of Eliott Crestan from Belgium, second in 1:44.92.
Then came English in 1:45.46. He had been sitting in fifth at the bell, first passing Elvin Josué Canales from Spain, then Ryan Clarke from the Netherlands.
After lowering his Irish record to 1:45.15 last month, the qualified doctor from Donegal was delighted with his effort.
English had already won silver at the European Indoor Championships back in 2015, and bronze in 2019 – also winning two outdoor bronze medals over 800m – and came into Sunday’s final running as well if not better than ever, as well as fitter, stronger, faster and more determined.
Ireland’s Andrew Coscoran during the men’s 3,000m final. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
Earlier in the session, a slow-burning but no less thrilling 3,000m final ended with Andrew Coscoran run out of the medals.
Sitting in fourth place heading into the last of the 15 captivating laps, Coscoran was simply unable to get any closer to the medals, finishing in sixth place in 7:51.77 as the 12-man race turned into the latest coronation for Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
After running an Irish record of 7:30.75 in Boston last month, Coscoran came to Apeldoorn ranked third in the men’s 3,000m, and the Dublin athlete ran with that sort of confidence, always working hard to keep himself in contention.
Ingebrigtsen first moved to the front after 1½ laps to help control the pace, before kicking for home with 2½ laps remaining, winning in 7:48.37 to complete a third consecutive 1,500m/3,000m double at these championships. Britain’s George Mills was second, with Azeddine Habz from France third in 7:50.48.
Coscoran was passed by Britain’s James West in the run-in.
Still only 24, the Norwegian sensation now has 23 European titles in all, including cross-country and junior titles.