OLYMPIC hopeful Mark English will be back on track next week in the Czech Republic.
The Finn Valley AC man goes in the 800m in the Golden Spike, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, in Ostrava.
English will also compete on May 29 at the Belfast Irish Milers Meet at the Mary Peters Track.
The three-time European medalist is aiming to secure qualification for the Olympics.
To automatically qualify, English needs to go 1:45.20 and 2021 has already seen him loweri his Irish indoor record to 1:46.10.
Next Wednesday’s meet at Mestsky Stadium will be LIVE on Sport TG4 from 5-7pm.
Other irish interest includes Paul Robinson (1500m), Nadia Power (800m), Luke McCann (1500m) and Sean Tobin (3000m).
Mondo Duplantis will attempt to break his world record in the pole vault against Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie and World Champion Sam Kendricks.,
The Golden Spike was granted an exemption from the Czech Republic’s ban on holding mass events, and the meeting is permitted to welcome 1500 fans into the stadium.
Golden Spike, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, in Ostrava on 19 May.
This year’s Golden Spike will be the 60th edition and the line-up of top names already announced for the competition will ensure that the meeting will be a memorable one.
English competed at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
His outdoor best is 1:44.84, set in July 2013 in London, just two one hundredths of a second outside the Irish record of David Matthews, which has stood for 25 years.
“That’s always been an aim of mine,” he said in an interview with Donegal Daily/Donegal Sport Hub earlier this year.
“I know that I’m in the shape to break it. I just need to get into the right race in the next two or three months.”
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