'English but Irish'? Olympian’s surname leaves internet in stitches

Ireland’s Mark English may have missed out on a medal in the Men’s 800m at the Paris Olympics, finishing sixth in the semi-finals, but his name certainly made headlines for a hilarious reason. Despite his commendable performance, which earned him plenty of praise online, it was the irony of his surname that caught the internet’s attention, leading to a meme fest.

ENGLISH but Irish...
"Just saw a photo of Mark English, the Irish athlete, and couldn’t help but chuckle. His name’s 'English,' but he’s repping Ireland! Proof that even in sports, you can be named English and still be Irish through and through#NameConfusion… pic.twitter.com/znlduPGiG6

— dinesh akula (@dineshakula) August 10, 2024

Social media users couldn’t help but point out the humor in an Irish athlete named "English." One user humorously remarked, “ENGLISH but Irish… Just saw a photo of Mark English, the Irish athlete, and couldn’t help but chuckle. His name’s ‘English,’ but he’s repping Ireland! Proof that even in sports, you can be named English and still be Irish through and through.”

The memes didn’t stop there. Another user quipped, “Ireland or England at the 2024 Paris Olympics? The Irish can be a bit confusing, even when they’re sober!” The playful banter continued with comments like, “Stephen Ireland, Jason Scotland, Mark English—I need another guy with ‘Welsh’ as a family name.”

The online jokes were endless, with one post cleverly playing with his name and nationality: “So this Mark, is he #English? No, 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.”

As for the race itself, English showed promise at the Stade de France, leading with 200 meters to go. However, in the final moments, he was overtaken by Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati, a favorite for gold who secured a spot in the finals, followed by Botswana’s Tshopiso Masalela in second place, and Italy’s Catalin Tecucanu in third. Despite not advancing, Mark English’s performance—and his name—certainly left a mark on this year’s Olympics.