Kate O’Connor (Dundalk St. Gerard’s AC) got her pentathlon competition off to a fantastic start at the European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. The 24-year-old currently sits in the silver medal winning position with 2903 points after three of the five events have been completed.
O’Connor opened up her day in the High Jump, where she clocked a personal best of 8.31 seconds, taking 0.06 seconds off her previous best set earlier this season. She then moved to the High Jump where again produced a lifetime best. It was a nerve-wracking event for her however as she had two failed attempts at 1.75m before she cleared that height, with the same scenario unfolding at 1.81m. With the bar at 1.84m then she soared over on her second attempt screaming with delight as she added 2cm to her previous personal best.
The last event of the morning session was the Shot Put, and O’Connor was pleased with her throw of 14.32m, which was only 10cm down on her season’s best and indoor personal best. Speaking afterwards the Dundalk woman gave this reaction to the competition so far, “It’s been really good. I can’t complain with two personal bests, I was only 10cm off my season’s best in the Shot Put also. That was probably the most nerve-wracking High Jump competition I have ever been through in my whole life…I know that those heights (1.75m and 1.81m) are there but it’s just a case of trying to deal with the nerves at championships and being able to produce. I’m thankful I was able to pull it together.”
O’Connor returns to action this afternoon for the Long Jump before the 800m concludes her schedule.
Meanwhile, Andrew Coscoran (3000m), Mark English (800m), Sarah Healy (3000m) and the Women’s 4x400m Relay will all be in final action.
Ireland celebrated a magical evening at the European Indoor Championships, with Sarah Healy securing a stunning gold in the 3000m and bronze medals claimed by Mark English in the 800m and Kate O’Connor in the pentathlon.
Healy delivered a masterclass in race execution, waiting patiently before unleashing a decisive kick in the final 100m to edge out Britain’s Melissa Courtney-Bryant. In a thrilling finish, Healy took gold in 8:52.86, just ahead of Courtney-Bryant (8:52.92) and Portugal’s Salome Alfonso (8:53.42). Healy displayed remarkable composure, becoming Ireland’s first gold medallist at these championships since David Gillick in 2007.
“I’m so happy to do it,” said Healy. “It’s amazing. Having so many Irish supporters here made it extra special, especially with my parents watching. They’ve seen me disappointed so many times, so this moment was really nice.”
Mark English added to his illustrious career with a brilliant bronze in the 800m. The Finn Valley athlete showcased his signature race craft, surging through the final lap to claim third in 1:45.46. Gold went to the Netherlands’ Samuel Chapple (1:44.88), while Belgium’s Eliott Crestan secured silver (1:44.92).
English, now a five-time European medallist, demonstrated his experience by maintaining a strong position throughout the race before shifting gears in the final lap to secure his place on the podium. His latest triumph sees him trail only Sonia O’Sullivan in Ireland’s all-time medal tally at major championships.
Meanwhile, Kate O’Connor made history by becoming the first Irish athlete to win a senior multi-events medal, clinching bronze in the pentathlon. The Dundalk native, a former European U-20 silver medallist, delivered a phenomenal performance, particularly in the 800m, where she overtook Britain’s Jade O’Dowda in the overall standings to secure third place.
“It’s absolute madness, I can’t believe it,” said O’Connor. “I knew I’d need something special to get into the medals, so I just took it one event at a time. After the long jump, I was frustrated because I had already put in four world-class performances and was still outside the top three. But I decided to give it everything.”
O’Connor shattered her own Irish pentathlon record with a total of 4781 points, achieving personal bests in four of the five events: 8.31 seconds in the 60m hurdles, 1.84m in the high jump, 14.32m in the shot put, and 6.27m in the long jump. O’Connor ran a 2:11.42 in the 800m to O’Dowda’s 2:15.91, which secured bronze.
Finnish athlete Saga Vanninen took gold with a European U-23 record of 4922 points, while the Netherlands’ Sofie Dokter claimed silver with 4826.
“I just thought, ‘feck it, I’m going to run as fast as I can and kick as hard as I can,’” O’Connor added. “With 220m to go, I said, ‘let’s go.’ I ran with all the guts I had, and it paid off.”
Elsewhere, Andrew Coscoran fought bravely in the 3000m final, contending for a medal until the final lap before fading to sixth in 7:51.77. Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen once again showcased his dominance, completing a 1500m-3000m double.
In the women’s 4x400m relay, the Irish team of Rachel McCann, Lauren Cadden, Arlene Crossan, and Cliodhna Manning finished sixth in 3:32.72.
Full results can be found HERE.
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