Ireland's O'Connor wins historic world silver medal

O'Connor claimed Ireland's first global outdoor medal in the multi-events

Ireland's Kate O'Connor claimed a historic silver medal in the women's heptathlon with a superb performance at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

The 24-year-old finished with 6,714 points to come second behind gold medallist Anna Hall of the United States (6,888) after registering five personal bests across the two days of competition.

It is Ireland's first global outdoor medal in the multi-events, first world medal in 12 years and O'Connor's fourth medal in 2025.

Great Britain's Katarina Johnson-Thompson and American Taliyah Brooks shared bronze after they finished on 6,581 points apiece in a dramatic finish, while Belgium's three-time Olympic champion Nafi Thiam withdrew from the competition when ranked eighth earlier on Saturday.

Even before winning World Championship silver, O'Connor said 2025 has been her "year of dreams"

On Friday, O'Connor recorded three PBs in the 100m hurdles, high jump, 200m to sit second behind Hall and put herself firmly in medal contention at the Japan National Stadium.

She dropped to fourth early in day two, 50 points off a podium place following a 6.22m jump in the long jump.

The Newry-born athlete, who was wearing strapping on her right knee after the long jump, responded superbly in the javelin with another PB of 53.06m on her first throw.

That set a new national record and topped the field which helped her move in front of Brooks and into second in the standings.

Five personal bests for O'Connor

In the final event, the 800m, O'Connor produced another stunning run for a fifth PB in seven events with a time of two minutes, 9.56 seconds.

The silver medal caps the best year of O'Connor's career after she claimed bronze in the pentathlon at the European Championships, silver at the World Indoors before setting a new national record at the World University Games to claim gold outdoors.

After battling injuries to qualify for her first Olympics last year, the Commonwealth Games silver medallist finished 14th in Paris, but she has begun the start of the Los Angeles 2028 cycle in superb form.

O'Connor's silver is also Ireland's first world track and field medal since Sonia O'Sullivan's 5,000m gold in 1995 and first medal of any kind since Rob Heffernan's 50km race walk win in 2013.

Later on Saturday, fast-finishing Cian McPhillips narrowly missed out on adding a bronze to O'Connor's silver after he finished fourth in the men's 800m final.

The 23-year-old Longford man surged to the finish line to clock one minute, 42.15 seconds and lower the national record he set in his semi-final win on Thursday.

McPhillips finished behind Canada's bronze medallist Marco Arop (1:41.95), while Kenya's Emmanuel Wanyonyi (1:41.86) took gold ahead of Algeria's Djamel Sedjati (1:41.90).

Ireland's women's 4x400m relay team of Sophie Becker, Cliodhna Manning, Rachel McCann and Sharlene Mawdsley were also in action on Saturday, but finished last in their heat.

O'Connor celebrated with her father and coach Michael O'Connor