Kate O'Connor (athlete)

Kate O'Connor
O'Connor in 2023
Personal information
NationalityIrish
Born (2000-12-12) 12 December 2000
Newry, Northern Ireland[1]
Home townDundalk, County Louth, Ireland
Sport
Country Ireland
 Northern Ireland
SportTrack and field
Events
Heptathlon, indoor pentathlon
ClubDundalk St Gerard's
Coached byMichael O'Connor
Achievements and titles
Personal bestsHeptathlon: 6751 pts NR
Indoor pentathlon: 4839 pts NR[2]
Medal record
Representing Ireland
World Championships
Silver medal – second place2025 TokyoHeptathlon
World Indoor Championships
Silver medal – second place2025 NanjingPentathlon
Bronze medal – third place2026 ToruńPentathlon
European Championships
Gold medal – first place2026 BirminghamHeptathlon
European Indoor Championships
Bronze medal – third place2025 ApeldoornPentathlon
Summer World University Games
Gold medal – first place2025 BochumHeptathlon
European Athletics U20 Championships
Silver medal – second place2019 BoråsHeptathlon
Representing Northern Ireland
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place2026 GlasgowHeptathlon
Silver medal – second place2022 BirminghamHeptathlon

Katherine O'Connor (born 12 December 2000)[2] is an Irish track and field athlete who competes in the heptathlon and indoor pentathlon for Ireland and Northern Ireland. As of July 2026, O'Connor is the Irish record holder for heptathlon and indoor pentathlon, and both the 2026 European champion and the 2026 Commonwealth Games champion in the former.

A European medalist for Ireland at the under-20 age-grade level in 2019, she came to senior prominence by winning a silver medal in the heptathlon at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, representing Northern Ireland.

In 2025 she achieved a breakthrough year, winning four senior international medals across the indoor and outdoor season. She won a bronze medal in the Pentathlon at the 2025 European Indoor Championships, setting a new national record, and a silver at the World Indoor Championships a few weeks later.[3] In the summer, she took gold in the 2025 World University Games, the Universiade in heptathlon. In September 2025, O'Connor won a Heptathlon silver medal at the 2025 World Athletics Championships.

In 2026, her run of success continued as she won a bronze medal representing Ireland in the indoor pentathlon at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships before winning the gold medal in the 2026 Commonwealth Games heptathlon, once more representing Northern Ireland, and only days later the gold medal in the heptathlon at the 2026 European Athletics Championships. O'Connor was the first woman to win both these titles in the same year since Denise Lewis in 1998.

Career

O'Connor has been coached since childhood by her father Michael.[4]

Aged 17, O'Connor, who was born in Newry, County Down in Northern Ireland, but raised in Dundalk, County Louth in the Republic of Ireland, competed for Northern Ireland at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, finishing eighth in the heptathlon.[5]

She won a silver in the heptathlon at the 2019 European Athletics U20 Championships in Borås, Sweden.[6][7]

O'Connor won a silver medal competing in the heptathlon at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, her first senior medal, behind Katarina Johnson-Thompson.[8]

She qualified for the heptathlon at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, finishing in 13th place.[9]

O'Connor became the first Irish heptathlete to compete at an Olympics[10] when she finished 14th at the 2024 Summer Olympics.[11][12]

She set a new Irish indoor pentathlon record of 4,683 points at the Tallinn Combined Events meeting in Estonia in February 2025.[13]

O'Connor won a bronze medal in the pentathlon at the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships after winning the 800m race, setting 4 new personal bests in the long jump, high jump, 60m hurdles and in the 800m.[14]

She claimed a silver medal in the pentathlon at the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China.[15][3]

She became World University Games champion in 2025.[16]

O'Connor won a silver medal in the heptathlon at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, setting a new national record of 6,714 points in the process and registering five personal bests across the seven events.[17][18]

In March 2026, O'Connor won a bronze medal in the pentathlon at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in a new Irish record score of 4839 points.[19]

She won gold representing Northern Ireland at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in heptathlon, 291 points ahead of Great Britain's Jade O'Dowda in second.[20] 17 days later, she won gold again, this time for Ireland at the 2026 European championships in the heptathlon, edging Netherlands' Emma Oosterwegel by 38 points in a new national record of 6,751 points.[21]

Personal life

O'Connor began studying at Sheffield Hallam University in 2019 and graduated in 2022 with a degree in sport development with coaching.[22] O'Connor completed a master's degree in Communication and Public Relations at Ulster University in 2025 and graduated in Belfast in December 2025.[23][24][25]

Although raised in Dundalk and a member of Saint Gerard's Athletic Club, O'Connor was born in the nearby city of Newry, in County Down, Northern Ireland. She is therefore eligible by birth to represent Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games. As athletes from Northern Ireland are automatically eligible to represent either the Great Britain & Northern Ireland team,[26] or Ireland in World Athletics events, representing Northern Ireland does not affect her eligibility to represent Ireland in other competitions.[27]

Personal bests

[2]

Indoor & Outdoor
Event Record Points Date
60m Hurdles 8.21 1113 20 February 2026
Long Jump 6.55m 1119 15 August 2026
800m (indoor) 2:10.26 961 22 March 2026
200m (indoor) 25.06 987 17 February 2018
Pentathlon 4839 NR 22 March 2026
100m Hurdles 13.30 1109 14 August 2026
High Jump 1.86m 1082 19 September 2025
200m 23.79* 1036 14 August 2026
800m 2:09.56 997 20 September 2025
Javelin 53.06m 950 20 September 2025
Shot Put 14.70m 841 22 March 2026
Heptathlon 6751 NR 15 August 2026

References

  1. ↑ "Kate O'Connor wins heptathlon silver at the European Under-20 Championships". BBC Sport. 19 July 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "Kate O'Connor". World Athletics.
  3. 1 2 "Ireland's Kate O'Connor wins silver medal at World Indoor Championships". IrishTimes.com. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
  4. ↑ Cathal Dennehy, "'Kate's able to ask questions and be very, very direct with me, but that's the relationship a parent has with a child'". Belfast Telegraph, 1 December 2025. Retrieved 1 December 2025
  5. ↑ Brennan, Ian. "Historic Silver for Kate O'Connor in Heptathlon at Euro U20s". Buzz.ie. Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  6. ↑ O'Riordan, Ian (19 July 2019). "Kate O'Connor first female heptathlete to medal for Ireland". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  7. ↑ "O'Connor wins brilliant heptathlon silver at Euro U20s". RTE News. 19 July 2019.
  8. ↑ "Northern Ireland's Kate O'Connor wins heptathlon silver at Commonwealth Games". Irish Times. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  9. ↑ "Heptathlete Kate O'Connor 'proud' of 13th place finish at World Athletics Championships". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  10. ↑ "Kate makes history today as Ireland's first heptathlete to compete in Olympic Games". Newry Reporter. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  11. ↑ "Ireland's Kate O'Connor places 14th overall in Heptathlon". The 42. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  12. ↑ "O'Connor finishes 14th in first Olympic heptathlon". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  13. ↑ "Kate O'Connor smashes Irish pentathlon record in Estonia". Irish Independent. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  14. ↑ "O'Connor and English bag bronzes at European Indoors". RTÉ Sport. 9 March 2025.
  15. ↑ rorycassidy (9 March 2025). "World Athletics Indoor Championship Selections". Athletics Ireland. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  16. ↑ 'Kate O'Connor delivers a gold medal at the World University Games'. RTÉ Sport, 24 July 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025
  17. ↑ "Kate O'Connor wins World Championship silver in heptathlon following fifth personal best". RTE. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  18. ↑ "Kate O'Connor secures stunning silver while Cian McPhillips finishes fourth at World Championships". The Irish Times. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  19. ↑ "Kate O'Connor claims World Indoor bronze in new Irish record". RTE Sport. 23 March 2026. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  20. ↑ "O'Connor claims Commonwealth heptathlon gold in style". 29 July 2026. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  21. ↑ Scully, Caolán (15 August 2026). "O'Connor wins European heptathlon gold in Birmingham". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  22. ↑ "Sheffield Hallam students and graduates going for gold in Paris". Sheffield Hallam University. 18 July 2024.
  23. ↑ 'Heptathlete Kate O'Connor honoured by Ulster University following World University Games Gold'. Ulster University, 13 August 2025
  24. ↑ "Ulster Sports Stars Take on Paris 2024 Olympics". Ulster University. 5 August 2024.
  25. ↑ "O'Connor 'never could have imagined' 2025 success". BBC Sport, 15 December 2025. Retrieved 15 December 2025
  26. ↑ https://www.britishathletics.org.uk/
  27. ↑ Ingram, Elaine (19 September 2025). "No stopping Kate who sits second in Tokyo with three PBs on Day 1". Newry Reporter.
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