Irish middle-distance runner Mark English secured a place in the men's 800m final at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest on Saturday evening, winning his semi-final in 1:43.74.

The 33-year-old Donegal athlete, competing for Finn Valley AC, produced a well-timed finish in the second semi-final, kicking clear on the home straight to finish ahead of Italy's Francesco Pernici, who clocked 1:43.80. Canada's Marco Arop finished third in 1:44.21, while Algeria's Djamel Sedjati took the final qualifying place in fourth in 1:44.23.

English, who won the European 800m gold medal in Birmingham last month, skipped the recent Diamond League final in Brussels to complete a stint of altitude training in Sierra Nevada, Spain, ahead of the Budapest competition.

Speaking after the race, English highlighted the significance of reaching his first world outdoor final during a season in which he has focused on full-time training under coach Justin Rinaldi.

"I'm happy to make that final, it's my first world final and it's a big stepping stone for me, a progression," English said. "Everything from here on is a bonus. The quality of the 800m has skyrocketed through the roof, so thankfully it worked out nicely today and I'm looking forward to tomorrow's final."

The men's 800m final takes place on Sunday evening in the Hungarian capital, where a top prize of $150,000 is on offer for the winner as part of the tournament's overall $10 million purse.