KATE O’CONNOR SITS in 19th place in the Heptathlon at the Paris Olympic Games after five events, finishing her first day with an impressive display in the 200m.
O’Connor started the day with a sub-par hurdles run with a season-best effort in the high jump. This evening, she threw for 13.79 in the shot putt, which was the 14th best effort of the 22 competitors.
The 23-year-old later clocked a season’s best time of 24.77 in the 200m to come home in fourth and collect 900 points. She will return tomorrow to compete in the javelin and 800m.
“I would say up and down,” O’Connor told RTÉ’s David Gillick. “It’s been more solid, and I was really happy with that 200m. It’s a season’s best, and the same with the high jump.
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“I don’t know what happened with the hurdles but I just haven’t been out in front of a crowd for a year. It was just more like I felt stunned, a rabbit in headlights. But I have to be proud of myself that I picked myself up in the high jump.
“Coming in here, my world ranking was 24th so that can be nerve wracking because you’re thinking, ‘Oh am I going to be able to keep up with these girls?’ But that’s the beauty with multi events, and it’s not over til it’s over. Don’t count me out yet.
“I’m the first heptathlete to compete for Ireland. I want to put multi events on the map. It’s something everybody in Ireland can get behind a little bit more and get kids at home to do a little bit of everything.”
"I just really want to put multi-events on the map and get younger kids at home to do a bit of everything. You don't have to be amazing at one, you can be great at seven!" - Kate O'Connor reacts to a long first day of heptathlon action #RTEsport#Paris2024pic.twitter.com/l8wFb1Vl0Y
O’Connor would have been initially disappointed as she began her campaign by finishing seventh and last in her 100m hurdles race, her time of 14:08 well below her personal best (13:57 at the Worlds last year) and season’s bests (13.94 in May and June).
But the Dundalk woman, who is Ireland’s first ever Olympian in the heptathlon, rebounded brilliantly in the second of her seven events, clocking out with 1.77 metres in the high jump.
O’Connor made 1.77m on her third and final attempt, later missing out on 1.80m after three further efforts.
Stil, only seven athletes of the 22 starters did better than O’Connor in the high jump and her 941 points in that second event moved her up three places to 19th in the overall standings.
Kate O'Connor celebrates making 1.77m in the high jump. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
O’Connor was cruelly denied a likely shot at the Tokyo Olympics when she suffered an injury at one of the final qualifying events.
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Kate O'Connor in 19th place after five events in Heptathlon
LAST UPDATE | 8 Aug
KATE O’CONNOR SITS in 19th place in the Heptathlon at the Paris Olympic Games after five events, finishing her first day with an impressive display in the 200m.
O’Connor started the day with a sub-par hurdles run with a season-best effort in the high jump. This evening, she threw for 13.79 in the shot putt, which was the 14th best effort of the 22 competitors.
The 23-year-old later clocked a season’s best time of 24.77 in the 200m to come home in fourth and collect 900 points. She will return tomorrow to compete in the javelin and 800m.
“I would say up and down,” O’Connor told RTÉ’s David Gillick. “It’s been more solid, and I was really happy with that 200m. It’s a season’s best, and the same with the high jump.
“I don’t know what happened with the hurdles but I just haven’t been out in front of a crowd for a year. It was just more like I felt stunned, a rabbit in headlights. But I have to be proud of myself that I picked myself up in the high jump.
“Coming in here, my world ranking was 24th so that can be nerve wracking because you’re thinking, ‘Oh am I going to be able to keep up with these girls?’ But that’s the beauty with multi events, and it’s not over til it’s over. Don’t count me out yet.
“I’m the first heptathlete to compete for Ireland. I want to put multi events on the map. It’s something everybody in Ireland can get behind a little bit more and get kids at home to do a little bit of everything.”
O’Connor would have been initially disappointed as she began her campaign by finishing seventh and last in her 100m hurdles race, her time of 14:08 well below her personal best (13:57 at the Worlds last year) and season’s bests (13.94 in May and June).
But the Dundalk woman, who is Ireland’s first ever Olympian in the heptathlon, rebounded brilliantly in the second of her seven events, clocking out with 1.77 metres in the high jump.
O’Connor made 1.77m on her third and final attempt, later missing out on 1.80m after three further efforts.
Stil, only seven athletes of the 22 starters did better than O’Connor in the high jump and her 941 points in that second event moved her up three places to 19th in the overall standings.
O’Connor was cruelly denied a likely shot at the Tokyo Olympics when she suffered an injury at one of the final qualifying events.
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2024 Olympics Athletics back on track kate o'connor Paris 2024