Kate O'Connor (athlete)
O'Connor in 2023 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Irish / Northern Irish |
| Born | 12 December 2000 |
| Home town | Dundalk |
| Sport | |
| Country | Ireland Northern Ireland |
| Sport | Track and field |
Event(s) | Heptathlon, indoor pentathlon |
| Club | Dundalk St Gerard's |
| Coached by | Michael O'Connor |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests | Heptathlon: 6714 pts NR Indoor pentathlon: 4781 pts NR[2] |
Medal record | |
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. O'Connor is the Irish record holder for heptathlon and indoor pentathlon.
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.
Career
O'Connor has been coached since childhood by her father Michael.[4]
Aged 17, O'Connor 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]
Personal life
O'Connor began studying at Sheffield Hallam University in 2019 and graduated in 2022 with a degree in sport development with coaching.[19] She is in a relationship with Irish tax expert Graham Murray. O'Connor completed a master's degree in Communication and Public Relations at Ulster University in 2025 and graduated in Belfast in December 2025.[20][21][22]
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 eligible to represent Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games.[23]
Personal bests
| Event | Record | Points | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60m Hurdles | 8.21 | 1113 | 20 February 2026 |
| Long Jump | 6.50m | 1108 | 1 March 2026 |
| 800m (indoor) | 2:11.42 | 1005 | 9 March 2025 |
| 200m (indoor) | 25.06 | 987 | 17 February 2018 |
| Pentathlon | 4781 NR | 9 March 2025 | |
| 100m Hurdles | 13.44 | 1108 | 19 September 2025 |
| High Jump | 1.86m | 1082 | 19 September 2025 |
| 200m | 24.07 | 1029 | 19 September 2025 |
| 800m | 2:09.56 | 997 | 20 September 2025 |
| Javelin | 53.06m | 950 | 20 September 2025 |
| Shot Put | 14.64m | 873 | 21 March 2025 |
| Heptathlon | 6714 NR | 20 September 2025 |
National Championship Results
| Year | Jav | SP | LJ | H |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | — | — | ||
| 2023 | — | — | ||
| 2023 Indoor | — | 4th | ||
| 2022 | — | |||
| 2020 | 4th | — | — |
*Jav = Javelin, SP = Shot Put, H = Hurdles 60/100, LJ = Long Jump
References
- ^ "Kate O'Connor wins heptathlon silver at the European Under-20 Championships". BBC Sport. 19 July 2019.
- ^ a b c "Kate O'Connor". World Athletics.
- ^ a b "Ireland's Kate O'Connor wins silver medal at World Indoor Championships". IrishTimes.com. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
- ^ 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
- ^ 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.
- ^ O'Riordan, Ian (19 July 2019). "Kate O'Connor first female heptathlete to medal for Ireland". The Irish Times. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
- ^ "O'Connor wins brilliant heptathlon silver at Euro U20s". RTE News. 19 July 2019.
- ^ "Northern Ireland's Kate O'Connor wins heptathlon silver at Commonwealth Games". Irish Times. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
- ^ "Heptathlete Kate O'Connor 'proud' of 13th place finish at World Athletics Championships". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
- ^ "Kate makes history today as Ireland's first heptathlete to compete in Olympic Games". Newry Reporter. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
- ^ "Ireland's Kate O'Connor places 14th overall in Heptathlon". The 42. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
- ^ "O'Connor finishes 14th in first Olympic heptathlon". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
- ^ "Kate O'Connor smashes Irish pentathlon record in Estonia". Irish Independent. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
- ^ "O'Connor and English bag bronzes at European Indoors". RTÉ Sport. 9 March 2025.
- ^ rorycassidy (9 March 2025). "World Athletics Indoor Championship Selections". Athletics Ireland. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ^ 'Kate O'Connor delivers a gold medal at the World University Games'. RTÉ Sport, 24 July 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025
- ^ "Kate O'Connor wins World Championship silver in heptathlon following fifth personal best". RTE. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ "Kate O'Connor secures stunning silver while Cian McPhillips finishes fourth at World Championships". The Irish Times. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ "Sheffield Hallam students and graduates going for gold in Paris". Sheffield Hallam University. 18 July 2024.
- ^ 'Heptathlete Kate O'Connor honoured by Ulster University following World University Games Gold'. Ulster University, 13 August 2025
- ^ "Ulster Sports Stars Take on Paris 2024 Olympics". Ulster University. 5 August 2024.
- ^ "O'Connor 'never could have imagined' 2025 success". BBC Sport, 15 December 2025. Retrieved 15 December 2025
- ^ Ingram, Elaine (19 September 2025). "No stopping Kate who sits second in Tokyo with three PBs on Day 1". Newry Reporter.