Never in the long history of Irish athletics have three major medals been won in such swift succession. All three were historic in their own right too as Mark English, Sarah Healy and then Kate O’Connor combined their individual brilliance to make it an unforgettable evening at the European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn.
The Irish team of 19 athletes had come to the Dutch city loaded with medal potential. Still, nothing was won before Sunday’s final session, when within just over half an hour – or 36 minutes, to be exact – Healy crowned her moment in gold by winning the 3,000m, straight after English won bronze in the 800m bronze, and before O’Connor won bronze in the pentathlon.
It made for a unique sight too, the evening session closing out with three successive medal ceremonies all involving Irish athletes. Healy got to stand atop the rostrum as Amhrán na bhFiann played out.
Healy had experienced that before, winning two European Under-18 gold medals back in 2018, only this was a coming of age and proper graduation, the now 24-year-old from Monkstown in South Dublin delivering on all that undeniable promise on the senior stage. She became the first Irish woman to win gold in any European Indoor event.
Three medals for Ireland as Sarah Healy, Kate O’Connor and Mark English shine at European Indoor Championships
Ireland’s Mark English qualifies for 800m final at European Indoor Championships
Sarah Lavin finishes fourth in 60m hurdles final at European Indoor Championships
Irish women have real medal-winning potential at European Indoor Championships this weekend
She did it in sensational style too, only hitting the front exactly when it mattered most to outsprint Britain’s Melissa Courtney-Bryant, the fastest European this season. Healy won in 8:52.86 – a first gold medal for Ireland at these championships since David Gillick won the 400m for a second time in 2007.
For English, a week shy of turning 32, Apeldoorn presented the chance to win a fifth European medal – he previously won silver and bronze indoors, plus two bronze outdoors – and he certainly grabbed it, calling on all his experience and racing brain to move from fifth to third on the last lap. His latest medal makes him the most decorated male Irish athlete of all time, and only Sonia O’Sullivan has won more.
Then came O’Connor, who in winning Ireland’s first ever senior multi-event medal, produced the performance of her young life in the 800m, winning that outright in 2:11.42. The time was enough to bring the 24-year-old’s total to 4,781 points, improving again on her previous Irish record of 4,683, having slipped back into fourth after the long jump.
Those three Irish medals might well have been more (Sarah Lavin was fourth in the 60m hurdles on Saturday, and the mixed 4x400m relay team finished fifth on Thursday), with Andrew Coscoran also finishing sixth in a highly competitive men’s 3,000m won by Jakob Ingebrigtsen earlier on Sunday. The women’s 4x400m team of Rachel McCann, Lauren Cadden, Arlene Crossan and Cliodhna Manning were also sixth in their final.
The 15 laps of Healy’s final were anything but straightforward. Dutch hope Maureen Koster tripped just past halfway and nearly took down Healy too. With seven runners still in contention approaching the bell, Healy moved into third, biding her time before striking past Courtney-Bryant, with Salome Afonso from Portugal third.
“It’s amazing,” Healy said. “And to have so many Irish people here was so special, for my first ever [senior] medal. The best part is definitely the fact that my parents are here. I guess they’ve seen me sad so many times, so that was so nice.
“I knew I had an opportunity today to win a medal, and also to win gold, but I didn’t want to put too much expectation on it, just try to race the best I could. But I felt so good the whole way around. At 600m I was in a good spot, and still ended up waiting. I was just trying to hold my form, I’ve really been working on that, it’s just instinct at that stage.”
She paid tribute to her coaches too, starting with Eoghan Marnell, who first nurtured her at Blackrock AC before she moved to Manchester in 2023 to train under Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows, coaches to Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson.
English also changed his set-up this season. He is now coached by Australian Justin Rinaldi, but his latest medal-winning run came from deep within. The Donegal athlete and doctor is fitter, stronger, faster, and more determined than ever.
“I really wanted the gold, but really happy to come away with a medal, you have to be at this level,” said English, who also held off the fast-finishing Catalin Tecuceanu from Italy. “I think as time goes on, I’ll really start to appreciate what I’ve done. I’m almost 32 years of age, and to get another medal at European level is brilliant. And thanks to everyone who helped me put in the work.”
Samuel Chapple was the surprise winner, roared on by the home crowd, setting a new Dutch record of 1:44.88, ahead of Eliott Crestan from Belgium in second in 1:44.92. Then came English in 1:45.46.
O’Connor has been coached in Dundalk by her father Michael ever since taking up athletics. After setting two personal bests in three of the four earlier events – the 60m hurdles and high jump – she still needed something special in the 800m to move ahead of Britain’s Jade O’Dowda, who ended up fourth with 4,751 points.
“I knew it would take something special, and we had a plan, and I didn’t follow it,” O’Connor said. “Halfway through the race I just decided I’m going to run as fast as I can, and hopefully no one can keep up. I’m so proud to be paving the way for Irish multi events, and hopefully more girls and boys will follow.”
The gold medal went to Finland’s Saga Vanninen, who produced a world-leading total of 4,922 points. Dutch athlete Sofie Dokter won silver with 4,826 points.
O’Connor will likely meet them again, but she won’t ever forget her first senior medal.
Take a bow, all three.
