Season-opening second for Mark English in France

Mark English opened his season with a second-place finish in France on Saturday.

The Finn Valley AC man was competing at Metting de Nantes Metropole, a World Athletics Indoor Tour bronze level meet.

English, just back from a lengthy training camp in South Africa, finished the 800m in 1:46.48, behind only French runner Yanis Meziane, who won in 1:46.28.

Meziane, the European U23 gold medalist in 2023, finished the race at Stadium Pierre-Quinon in 1:46.28.

The 31-year-old English, a four-time European medallist, is lined up for a big year, including the European Indoor Championships in Netherlands in March.

He was fifth at the midway point and took the bell in second. English bit down, but Meziane just held on over the line.

Last summer, Letterkenny native English reached the 800m semi-finals at the Olympic Games in Paris.

After clocking 1:45.15 in his heat – his fastest ever Olympic time – English was sixth in his semi, finishing in 1:45.98, trailing off in the closing stages having led the way with 200m to go.

Finn Valley AC high jumper Sommer Lecky was third in the same meet in Nantes.

Lecky cleared a best height of 1.78m and was unable to get over at 1.82m.

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Finland’s Heta Tuuri won when soaring over at 1.85m with Fatuomata Balley from Guinea arching over at 1.82m.