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A STUNNING SPELL of action yielded three European championship medals for Irish athletes on an historic evening in the city of Apeldoorn in the Netherlands.
The final session of the European Indoor Championships yesterday saw Mark English take bronze in the 800m, then Sarah Healy claimed gold in the 3000m, and finally Kate O’Connor rounded it off in style with bronze in the pentathlon.
It was a momentous occasion for Healy as she landed her first senior championship medal, and also for O’Connor as she claimed Ireland’s first ever senior multi-event medal.
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Ireland's trio of medallists, Mark English (800m bronze), Sarah Healy (3000m gold), and Kate O'Connor (pentathlon) chat to RTE Sport at the end of a hugely successful day at the European Indoor Championships. pic.twitter.com/DyCnd5Tw3t
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) March 9, 2025
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English, who won his fifth European medal, hailed the achievements of his colleagues and the significance of an evening, where in the space of just over half an hour, Irish athletes experienced such notable success.
“I’m just really grateful for everyone who put the work in, and really proud of the two guys here as well,” English told RTÉ Sport afterwards.
“I got to see Sarah’s race just after mine and it was brilliant to watch that, and then Kate to follow it up is brilliant. It’s a great night for the Irish.
“Honestly I’m just delighted it’s over. What a whirlwind of emotions over the last three days.”
The Letterkenny native, who turns 32 next week, added this bronze to previous European Indoors achievements at 8oom (silver in Prague 2015, bronze in Glasgow 2019), while he has two bronze European Outdoors medals for Zurich (2014) and Munich (2022).
This was a major breakthrough for Healy, the 24-year-old from Monkstown in Dublin.
At U18 level she had enjoyed two gold medal wins in European events back in 2018, but this elevated Healy to a higher level as she became the first Irish woman to win gold in a European indoor event, and indeed the first for Ireland at these championship since David Gillick’s 400m success in 2007.
“Yeah I’m so happy, it’s just an amazing feeling and everyone’s telling me to enjoy it so I’m just going to try to enjoy it,” Healy told Gillick in an interview after receiving her medal.
“So many people here, like Mark said, that have put work in to make this happen for me so I guess I just want to enjoy it with them. I don’t think it’ll be anything too crazy but I’ll have some fun.”
O’Connor was ecstatic after her medal achievement, the 24-year-old winning the 800m race to push up the rankings to third.
“I don’t know, it’s absolute madness. A couple of hours ago I didn’t think I’d have any bling and now I have something to take home with me. I’m absolutely ecstatic. So proud of these guys too, but yeah really happy to have my own.”
“I didn’t get to see either of those two guys race. Literally whenever I was here with you after the interview, I was like, ‘How did the guys do?’
“But yeah absolutely unbelievable and I hope everybody at home is as proud of us as I am.”
Written by Fintan O’Toole and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
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