"English had run in the middle of the pack through the opening half of today's race, with 400m reached in 51.12, and he was still only fifth with 50 metres to run. But he kept a cool head to thread a path to the front, overtaking runner-up Kethobogile Haingura (1:43.89) in the final metres, with USA's Brandon Miller third in 1:44.00."
""I felt great," said English. "I wasn't really thinking about the time, especially when I heard the pace is going to be 50.5, but I'm just delighted to get the win and to beat those guys in the sprint finish.""
"English faced disappointment at the World Indoor Championships in March and at last year's World Championships in Tokyo, falling just short of the finals on both occasions, but after a recent spell of altitude training in Sierra Nevada, Spain, he has opened this outdoor season with a bang. "I worked pretty hard after Tokyo last year because that was a tough one to take," he said."
"He will next race at the Diamond League events in Rabat and Rome as he builds up towards the Europeans in August, where he will be chasing his sixth European medal. At 33, he's now running better than ever. "I guess I do have to thank my coach Justin Rinaldi for keeping me motivated and at times it's difficult to always stay motivated," he said."
English won the Diamond League 800m race in Birmingham, becoming the first Irish male athlete to win a Diamond League race. He ran in the middle of the pack early, reaching 400m in 51.12 and sitting fifth with 50 metres remaining. He then moved through the field and overtook runner-up Kethobogile Haingura in the final metres, finishing in 1:43.89, with Brandon Miller third in 1:44.00. English said he felt great and focused on winning rather than the time. After setbacks at the World Indoor Championships and the 2023 World Championships, altitude training in Sierra Nevada helped him start the outdoor season strongly. He will race next in Rabat and Rome before the Europeans in August.
Read at Irish Independent
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