IRELAND’S KATE O’CONNOR celebrated today after receiving her silver medal in Tokyo at the official presentation event for the Women’s Heptathlon.

The Dundalk athlete secured the silver medal yesterday after finishing the 800m race, the last event of the heptathlon, and securing Ireland’s first World Championship medal since Rob Heffernan won gold in the 50km walk in 2013.

It is only the seventh medal Ireland has won in the 42-year history of the championships, with O’Connor recording personal bests in five of the seven events she competed in across Friday and Saturday.

• Kate O’Connor wins historic World Championship silver medal for Ireland in heptathlon

Kate O'Connor - World Championships silver medallist! A moment to truly savour for the Dundalk heptathlete, who has written herself into Irish sporting folklore 🇮🇪 🥈 #RTEsport #WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/xnK7evfLvr

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 21, 2025

“I think it’s going to take a few days, maybe a few weeks for this to settle in,” said O’Connor afterwards when talking to RTÉ Sport.

“We’ve worked so hard over the last little while. I’m so proud of me. I’m so proud of the team that have been around me. None of this would be able to happen without the people that I have working with me. I have to thank them all so, so much because it just wouldn’t be possible without them.”

• ‘I feel really proud to be Irish’ – Kate O’Connor reflects on World silver medal

USA’s Anna Hall won gold with 6888 points ahead of O’Connor’s 6714. The bronze medal was shared between Taliyah Brooks of USA and Great Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson who both finished on 6581.

President Michael D. Higgins led the tributes paid to O’Connor.

Congratulations to Kate O’Connor on her wonderful silver medal in the heptathlon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo

— President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) September 20, 2025

Ireland’s silver medalist Kate O’Connor with USA gold medallist Anna Hall and bronze-medalists USA’s Taliyah Brooks and GB’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Written by Fintan O’Toole 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.