Olympic debut has 'lit a fire' for O'Connor

Kate O'Connor (right) takes in the crowd at the end of her first Olympics

Ireland's Kate O'Connor said she was "delighted" with her Olympic debut in the heptathlon and it has "lit a fire" in her to progress.

O'Connor finished her first Olympics in 14th place in Paris and was just outside her own Irish record.

The 23-year-old, who was a Commonwealth Games silver medallist for Northern Ireland in 2022, started slowly in the 100 metre hurdles but a strong run of events saw her move up the standings.

O'Connor admitted there are "always going to be highs and lows" and she was proud of her resilience.

"I think I've proved to everyone out there that I can keep coming back and keep coming back.

"I've had a really long year with a lot of injuries, and I'm ready for a break, but it has lit a fire in me to really work hard now for next year and come back for the World Championships."

O'Connor added she was "sick of finishing in 13th and 14th" and the next step for her was to kick on from her debut at the Olympics.

"To be 14th in my first Olympics - I came in ranked 24th so I really can't complain."

"I want to break into that top 12 or top 10, and then keep progressing even higher than that.

"It's lit a fire in my belly to work harder and push up those ranks."

'Surreal' to compete with 'role model' Johnson-Thompson

After the conclusion of the 800 metres, the seventh and final event of the heptathlon, O'Connor and her fellow competitors were able to savour their time in the Stade de France and take in a lap of the stadium.

O'Connor said it was "amazing" to see the Irish support, friends and family in the crowd.

"That's one of the beautiful things about multi-eventing. You have that time to go around and appreciate all the fans coming and supporting.

"It brings all the girls who competed there a little bit closer together and we get nice pictures and things."

She added that she was able to "soak in the full experience and lap it all up" throughout her seven events.

At the end of he competitors' lap around the Stade de France, O'Connor had a word with Team GB's Johnson-Thompson, who was narrowly pipped to gold by Belgium's Nafissatou Thiam.

O'Connor said it was "surreal" competing against athletes like Johnson-Thompson, who she grew up watching on TV before embarking on her athletics journey.

The athletes were able to savour the atmosphere at the Stade de France after the heptathlon

Johnson-Thompson won gold ahead of O'Connor at the Commonwealths in Birmingham.

Despite competing against her on the big stage, O'Connor admits she still feels "a little bit starstruck".

"She is someone I aspire to be like," O'Connor added.

"Competing against people you watched on TV when you were a child is pretty surreal, but I want to keep pushing up the ranks to be like that.

"Whenever I'm with her she comes up and she speaks to me I'm still a bit like, 'oh my goodness'.

"She is such a lovely person, she really is. She looks out for me, and for Jade [O'Dowda, Johnson-Thompson's GB team-mate].

"She is just a really good role model."