Dundalk's history maker Kate O'Connor wins silver medal on global stage
The 24-year-old set five personal bests at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo
Dundalk athlete Kate O’Connor wrote her name into Irish sporting history in the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this afternoon.
Over two days of competition, she fought through injury and world-class opposition to capture a World Championship silver in the women's heptathlon to becoming the first Irish athlete to secure a global outdoor medal in the multi-events.
The 24-year-old set an incredible five personal bests in seven events to earn a national record of 6,714 points and shatter her own previous best to move into the top tier of world athletics.
On Friday, the St. Gerard’s AC athlete set the tone with a quick 13.44 in the 100m hurdles, followed by another PB in the high jump with 1.86m.
She held her nerve in the shot put, throwing 14.37m, before clocking a superb 24.07 in the 200m for her third PB of the day to finish the opening day sitting second overall behind America's Anna Hall.
Today brought fresh challenges after a shaky start in the long jump saw her foul her opening attempt before she recovered with a leap of 6.22m.
O’Connor picked up a knock to her knee but went on to produce the throw of her life in the javelin, launching it 53.06m, another PB and the best mark of the entire field to move back into silver medal position.
That left the 800m to decide it all, where she ran in 2:09.56 for her fifth PB to cement her place on the podium.
Only Anna Hall of the United States finished ahead, while Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson and American Taliyah Brooks shared bronze.
O’Connor has collected European Indoor bronze, World Indoor silver, and World University Games gold in 2025, but this silver on the biggest stage of all tops the lot.