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Kate O’Connor Eyes ‘Something Special’ at World Championships

Kate O’Connor is ready to deliver another big performance for Ireland as she heads to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. The Dundalk star has already enjoyed a year to remember – winning gold, silver and bronze across three major international events – and believes there is more to come.

“I Think Something Special Could Happen”

The St Gerard’s AC athlete has gone from rising prospect to national headline act in 2025. She took European Indoor bronze, followed by World Indoor silver, and then capped it off with a sensational World University Games gold in July.

“At the start of the year, World University Games was my main goal – to go there, try to medal, maybe try to win gold,” O’Connor said. “Then what happened at Indoors happened, and suddenly the World University Games became more about opening my outdoor season. I managed to win it by almost 400 points – it was such an enjoyable event.”

Her focus now shifts to Tokyo and the seven-event challenge of the heptathlon.

“I think I have a great chance of finishing really high,” she smiled. “I’m not even putting a number out there – but if I can put together a series like I did at Indoors, something special could happen.”

From Spotlight to Starting Blocks

O’Connor admits the spotlight has been brighter this year than ever before, but says she has embraced it:

“Since winning that medal at European Indoors, life has changed completely. Every week there’s something – an interview, an event – which is lovely, but it took time to adjust. I’m learning to enjoy it all and take it in my stride.”

Her first event – the 100m hurdles – takes place on Day 7 of the Championships, with all coverage live on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.

Three Medals, Three Stories

O’Connor is quick to point out that each of her 2025 medals carries its own unique significance.

“The bronze at Europeans – I’ve never worked so hard for a medal in my life. The silver was Ireland’s first World medal in years, and suddenly people were mentioning me alongside Sonia O’Sullivan and Derval O’Rourke – that was surreal. And to win a gold outdoors in my favourite event, the heptathlon, that was the perfect way to finish the set.”

Her journey has captured the imagination of Irish fans and raised expectations ahead of Tokyo – but O’Connor is embracing the challenge with the same calm determination that has brought her this far.

Whatever happens in Tokyo, Kate O’Connor has already made 2025 a year to remember – and the best may still be to come.

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Kate O’Connor is no longer just one to watch — she’s one to beat.

With European and World Indoor medals now in her collection, the 24-year-old heptathlete enters a new phase of her career: not just competing with the world’s best, but challenging them. As she prepares for two major summer events — the World University Games in Germany later this month and the World Championships in Tokyo in September — O’Connor is thinking big.

“My whole team focus has kind of changed,” she says. “Before, I’d go to championships looking up to the top girls. Now I’m going there to put it up to them.”

Belief Born from Breakthrough

O’Connor’s confidence is rooted in a sensational indoor season, where she claimed bronze in the European Indoors pentathlon and silver at the World Indoors. These were her first senior medals in an Irish vest, after earlier success as a European U20 silver medallist in 2019 and a Commonwealth Games silver medallist for Northern Ireland in 2022.

“I definitely feel like I’m in that bracket now,” she says. “It’ll take another couple of years to challenge for the very top, but that’s the ultimate goal.”

Monte Gordo Grind

Currently training in Monte Gordo, Portugal, O’Connor is putting in two sessions a day while juggling the final stages of a master’s degree in communication and PR. It’s a heavy workload, but one she’s handling with focus and ambition.

“I’ve always had something outside athletics – like university – to keep me grounded,” she says. “You never know when injury or setbacks can hit. It helps to have more than one identity.”

Backed by Adidas

Earlier this year, O’Connor signed a professional deal with adidas, giving her much-needed support in one of the most demanding events in sport. It marks another step towards her goal of becoming a full-time athlete after her degree wraps up in September.

“Financially, it’s getting better,” she says. “The support since indoors has really grown. Ideally, I’d love to bring my full coaching team to every event and not have to make decisions based on budget.”

Bigger Platform, Bigger Pressure

O’Connor’s success has brought increased public attention, and with it, new challenges. “At first, I said yes to everything — media, events, interviews — but it quickly got overwhelming,” she admits. “My dad’s been amazing, stepping in to handle the flood of emails so I can concentrate on training.”

“I thought three weeks off after indoors would be enough to reset everything, but I quickly realised the attention doesn’t just stop. You have to learn how to manage it.”

Record-Breaking Goals

O’Connor will open her season at the World University Games on July 23, where she hopes to surpass her own Irish heptathlon record of 6,297 points. Her target? Break 6,500 — a score that would place her among the world’s elite.

“I’ve focused hard on my speed this year,” she says. “If I can break 24 seconds in the 200m and improve on my javelin — my PB is from 2019 — I’ll be in a great place.”

With the World Championships just over 10 weeks away, her timing is spot on. “I’m in similar shape to indoors, maybe even better. If the body’s in good condition, anything’s possible when you put the events together.”

Powered by Partnership

Kate O’Connor was speaking at the launch of Athletics Ireland’s extended sponsorship deal with 123.ie, a six-figure partnership running until 2030. With big backing and even bigger ambition, the Dundalk native is ready to take on the world.

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The Rocket who is 5 time World champion stormed into a 8-1 frame lead after just 82 minutes of the match in the first session on Sunday. He needed just two more frame and he returned to get them on Monday to wrap up a record breaking win and to smash Shauna Murphy’a record of 149 minutes.

Thepchaiya had the chance to prolong the defeat in the second session on Monday but he missed an easy enough red to let O’Sullivan in to make a clearance of 93. He just needed one frame to secure a place in Round 2 against Ding Junhui. O’Sullivan made two further breaks of 41 and 48 in that final frame to secure the win. Speaking after the match O’Sullivan said, “I’m not really bothered by records – I stopped bothering about records when I reached them and they didn’t really give you that buzz for very long”.

O’Sullivan caused controversy last week when he said that players were treated as “lab rats” over the decision to have a limited crowd at the venue. However, he seemed a bit more relaxed around the situation when asked, he said,” I prefer it – I don’t have to deal with the pressure and expectation of the crowd and getting in and out of the venue.”

The World Snooker tour have also announced a new schedule for events as China will not be allowed host any sporting events till 2021. This will mean the Shanghai Masters, the International Championship and World Open will now be played at a later date due to the Covid 19 pandemic. This means that UK tournament and European have been brought forward. The Championship League will be played now across three legs in September and October and will become a ranking event.

The European Masters will now take place in January. The Shoot Out will take place between October 29th and November 1st. This was held in February previously. The Champion of Champions competition will then run from November 2nd to November 8th. All events in the UK will remain as normal apart from the Welsh Open which will take place before the turn of the year. The UK Championship will remain as scheduled with the final on December 8th.

Of course with the pandemic still ongoing the venues have to be confirmed due to the  uncertainty over when spectators will be permitted to return. The Chairman of World Snooker Barry Hearne said, “In recent months there has been uncertainty for all sports in terms of future events, but we have worked alongside all of our partners to find solutions”. “Our players and fans will be thrilled to see that we have a packed schedule for the first half of 2020-21”.

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