Mark English ran a season’s best time as he finished second in the men’s 800m at the Rome Diamond League meeting.
The Donegal man ran his second quickest ever time in the event as he finished just behind France’s Gabriel Tual.
Tual won the race in a time of 1:43.66, just .14 of a second ahead of English, who finished the race very strongly for a time of 1:43.80.
Italian runner Francesco Pernici was third in 1:43.97.
Meanwhile Sarah Healy ran a personal best time of 14:48.88 as she finished 17th in the women’s 5000m in her first race of the year.
Healy’s time was not on the second fastest in Irish history, taking her ahead of Catherina McKiernan and behind Sonia O’Sullivan, but it also also earns her automatic qualification to the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.
The race was won by Likina Amebaw who led home a group of Ethiopian runners who filled out the top- seven spots. Amebaw crossed the line in 1:14.71.