Donegal homecoming for Olympian Mark English this Saturday

Finn Valley Athletic Club will hold a homecoming event this Saturday, August 17, for Olympic 800 metres semi-finalist Mark English as he returns home to his native Donegal.

The event will take place at the Finn Valley Centre in Stranorlar at 2pm.

English, who competed in his third Olympics this year, reached the semi-final of the 800m in Paris.

He broke his own Irish record for the distance earlier in the summer to qualify for the Paris games, clocking a time of 1:44.69.

However, English cut a disappointed figure following his elimination from the Men’s 800m at the semi-final stage of the Olympic Games in Paris.

The 31-year-old put in an excellent first three-quarters and led the field, with all going to plan, only to finish sixth with a time of 1:45.97.

The race that day was won by Algeria's Djamel Sedjati in 1:45.08 and Tshopiso Masalela from Botswana grabbed the second of the automatic places in the first of three semi-finals with 1:45.33. Italian Catalin Tecucanu came third with 1:45.38 and Ben Pattison of Great Britain fourth with 1:45.57.

“I went out to try and win it so I’m disappointed,” English said afterwards at the Stade de France. “I wanted to make a good start and be in it at 200m and try and move into the lead or even second at 600 and I did that. But the wheels came off 50 metres from the end. It just wasn't my day. It’s an 800m race, unfortunately. It’s not what I want.”