‘Ireland or England at Paris Olympics?’: Irish runner’s name sparks meme fest

Olympian Mark English made a strong move with 200m in Men’s 800m but was unable to hold on and finished 6th in the race. Expectedly, people took to social media to praise his performance despite him missing out on the chance to win a medal. However, that’s not all; he also found himself amid a meme fest on X, and it has nothing to do with his running – it is all because of his name. What amused people was that his surname was “English,” but he hails from Ireland.
“Ireland or England at the 2024 Paris Olympics?” wrote an X user while sharing a picture of the athlete. Another added, “English but Irish.” A third person posted, “In the ironic lane is the Irish runner, Mark English.” A fourth person explained the situation, commenting, “So this Mark, is he English? No, actually, he’s Irish. But his name is Mark English! True, but he hails from Ireland. So, is English his first language? No, he speaks Irish as his mother tongue.”
Hailing from Letterkenny in Donegal, he is Ireland’s foremost 800m runner. His nine national titles are testament to his athletic prowess.
English, in his initial days, played soccer and Gaelic football. Later, he shifted to athletics and started his journey in competitive running after claiming the second position in the All-Ireland Schools Intermediate Boys 800m.
One of the world’s largest sporting events, this year’s event started on July 26 and will conclude on August 11. The event, hosted by Paris, started on a controversial note after people accused the opening ceremony tableau of hurting the religious sentiments of the Christian community. People were also left disgusted when some athletes became sick after their swimming event in the River Seine, reportedly due to the water quality.
The event also witnessed several memorable and iconic moments, be it the effortless swag of the Turkish Shooter Yusuf Dikec or Chinese badminton player Huang Ya Qiong receiving a marriage proposal from her mixed doubles partner Zheng Si Wei after winning a gold.