A golden night in Birmingham brought long-awaited relief for Mark English. Twelve years after his first European medal – bronze in the 800m at the 2014 European Championships in Zurich – he can finally call himself a European champion.“It’s not just relief, it’s ecstasy and shock,” English said after claiming gold in Thursday night’s 800m final at the Alexander Stadium in 1:45.26.“It’s amazing. I think it comes down to just being in a better state physiologically this year. I finally solved the problem of winning a European title.“To get on top of the European podium is something I’ve been trying for 16 years. It is 16 years since I got on top of the podium at European youth level. It’s brilliant to get back on top of it. I’ll hear the national anthem again, and yeah, it is going to be really special.”[ Mark English wins gold, Rhasidat Adeleke wins silver on unforgettable night for Irish athleticsOpens in new window ]Going into the final, English was a marked man. Having won his heat before setting a championship record of 1:43.39 in Wednesday’s semi-finals, the Finn Valley runner was the one to beat.“I knew I had to carry that (favourite) tag going into it, but I just had to try and stay in contention for most of the race. “I knew if I was in contention with 200 metres, 100 metres left, I’d be in with a good shout. That was what my coach told me, ‘If you’re there with 100 metres left, there’s no one who’s going to finish as strong as you’. That’s just what I had to focus on.” A nation held its breath as English rounded the final bend, Croatia’s Marino Bloudek out in front, but we need not have worried, the 33-year-old Donegal man had enough in the tank to power ahead down the home straight.Nearing the line, he had time for a brief glance left and right and a check of the big screen in the stadium. His eyes did not deceive him, English had become the new 800m European champion, momentarily stretching his arms out in celebration.“I didn’t want to celebrate too early. There was a guy I raced earlier this year who got caught out doing that. I was like, ‘Do not be the eejit who gets caught out celebrating early’,” said English. It wouldn’t be his style, anyway. Instead, he squatted to the ground, head in his hand, taking a moment to digest a dream finally realised.“I think I’ve committed myself more to training,” he said of his recent approach that has seen him enjoy the season of his career. “I’ve gone away on altitude camps. I’ve trained every day. I’ve probably trained twice a day, every day, since last September.“Athletics isn’t the most financially-backed sport, certainly not as much as sports like soccer, etc. We do it for the love of it. To get moments like tonight really makes all the hard work pay off. It is amazing. Really thankful.”Rhasidat Adeleke and Britain's Amy Hunt with their medals after the women's 200m final. Photograph: Mike Egerton/PA With Ireland’s first medal of the championships claimed, we hadn’t long to wait for a second.After a season dogged by injury, and only narrowly making the qualification standard for Birmingham, Rhasidat Adeleke reminded the world of exactly who she is and the kind of magic she can produce.Three weeks ago, she was at Morton Stadium in Santry, the last chance saloon to make it to the European Championships. On Thursday night, she sealed silver in the 200m in a national record of 22.28 seconds despite having only switched focus from the 400m as the clock ticked down on the qualification deadline.“The journey makes this so much sweeter,” the 23-year-old said after Thursday night’s final. “I think that adversity I had this year, even last year – moments of doubt, scrutiny, just trying to block out the noise and focus on who I can be and things that I can do.“It means so much. To be here, and to medal, and to run a national record. I’m on top of the moon. I’m so grateful.”Finishing behind Britain’s Amy Hunt, who took gold in 22.19, Adeleke silenced any doubt that may have surrounded her.“It was honestly the flashbacks of the times where I cried in my room,” she said of her feelings crossing the line. “I never cried so much in my life, honestly. Knowing the work it took to get here, having to show up on the days when I didn’t think I was worth much.“It’s been a really, really hard year, and to come out here and break a national record, my fastest time ever, it just gives me so much confidence that I’m still the athlete, I’m still someone who’s going to be in contention to be one of the greats. And I know I have so much more to come.”She added: “I didn’t think I was going to be here. When I went to Lucerne and ran 23 (seconds), I was like, ‘I’m cooked.’ But I just kept showing up. I had to put my ego aside a bit.“I haven’t been an athlete that faced a lot of adversity growing up, and to have it at this level in my life, there’s a lot of attention, scrutiny, and trying to block it out and continue to believe in myself.“It was really important for me to prove to myself, not to anyone else, that I still have it.”