LAST UPDATE | 19 Sep 2025

KATE O’CONNOR IS in the silver medal position after achieving three personal bests across four events in the heptathlon event at the World Athletics Championships.

After earning PBs in the 100m hurdles and the high jump, O’Connor then ran a personal best time of 24.07 in the 200m. O’Connor was outright third coming into what is considered her weakest event of the heptathlon, having secured fifth in the shot put.

"That's a big, big wow!"

A second PB of the morning for Kate O'Connor, this time in the high jump.

💻 Watch: https://t.co/8r55LhgRBk pic.twitter.com/fRSdO6EYFG

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 19, 2025

She stormed to second in 24.07 with a brilliant performance to give her a third personal best of the day, and put her in the silver medal spot on 3906 points.

World silver medallist Anna Hall of the USA dominated day one to take a commanding lead of 4154 points, while back-to-back world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson of Great Britain is currently in the bronze position with 3893 points.

A THIRD personal best of the day for Kate O'Connor, who ran 24.07 seconds in the 200m. The Irish woman is in the silver medal position at the end of day one, with 4/7 events complete in the heptathlon.
📺Watch the #WorldAthleticsChamps live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player pic.twitter.com/cWsIGbuigm

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 19, 2025

O’Connor will compete in the long jump in the morning session at 3.30am (Irish time). In the evening session, she will conclude with the javelin at 11am and the 800m at 1.11pm.

The Dundalk multi-eventer is looking to continue her breakout season which saw her win pentathlon silver at World Indoors as well as bronze at European Indoors, followed up by heptathlon gold at the World University Games this summer.

O’Connor got her campaign underway in superb style on Friday, setting a big PB of 13.44 seconds in the 100m hurdles, finishing in eighth place, and then following that up with a PB of 1.86m to finish fourth in the high jump.

A throw of 14.37 metres was enough for fifth in the shot put phase of the heptathlon and to put her outright third after three of seven events, before her 200m PB moved her into the silver position overnight.

Written by Gareth Lyons and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.