AN INCREDIBLE SUNDAY for Irish athletics continued with Kate O’Connor taking bronze in the Women’s Pentathlon at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Apeldoorn.
O’Connor clocked PBs in four events, finishing with a remarkable first-place finish in the 800m event to bag the bronze.
O’Connor made a strong start in the morning sessing, recording a PB in the second heat of the 60m hurdles, finishing fourth at 8.31.
The Newry athlete then delivered another PB in the high jump, jumping 1.75 on her third attempt before going on to clear 1.84.
The event moved on to the shot put where O’Connor placed fourth after throwing 14.32.
The morning session then ended with O’Connor second overall, ahead of the long jump and 800m.
O’Connor returned with another PB in the long jump, clearing 6.27m.
She then sat in fourth place ahead of the final event, on 3837 points, with Finland’s Saga Vanninen leading on 3989, and Sofie Dokter of the Netherlands on 3927. Britain’s Jade O’Dowda, sister of Ireland international footballer Callum, was third on 3871.
It all came down to this evening’s 800m event, where O’Connor delivered a superb run to move back into the medal positions.
Kate O'Connor ran an aggressive final event in the pentathlon and it paid dividends as she ran an 800m personal best to secure a bronze medal at the European Indoor Championships.
O’Connor’s final points tally was 4781. Vanninen took gold with 4922, while silver went to Dokter at 4826.
“If I’m going to be honest, when we were warming up I was half-preparing my fourth place speech, because I knew all those girls were great runners and it would take something special,” O’Connor told RTÉ.
“We had a plan and I didn’t follow that plan, halfway through the race I just decided ‘Frig it, I’m going to run as fast as I flipping can and hopefully no-one can keep up’, and that’s what I went out and did.
“I was just speaking to my coaches, all those girls out there are professionals, the top two and the girl who finished below me are all professional athletes, and I’m just a little girl, I’m studying, doing a Masters, I’m doing athletics on the side and to be able to finish up there with the top girls in Europe and get a bronze medal for my country is absolutely unbelievable.”
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Kate O'Connor wins bronze in pentathlon for Ireland's third European Indoors medal
LAST UPDATE | 9 Mar 2025
AN INCREDIBLE SUNDAY for Irish athletics continued with Kate O’Connor taking bronze in the Women’s Pentathlon at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Apeldoorn.
O’Connor clocked PBs in four events, finishing with a remarkable first-place finish in the 800m event to bag the bronze.
O’Connor made a strong start in the morning sessing, recording a PB in the second heat of the 60m hurdles, finishing fourth at 8.31.
The Newry athlete then delivered another PB in the high jump, jumping 1.75 on her third attempt before going on to clear 1.84.
The event moved on to the shot put where O’Connor placed fourth after throwing 14.32.
The morning session then ended with O’Connor second overall, ahead of the long jump and 800m.
O’Connor returned with another PB in the long jump, clearing 6.27m.
She then sat in fourth place ahead of the final event, on 3837 points, with Finland’s Saga Vanninen leading on 3989, and Sofie Dokter of the Netherlands on 3927. Britain’s Jade O’Dowda, sister of Ireland international footballer Callum, was third on 3871.
It all came down to this evening’s 800m event, where O’Connor delivered a superb run to move back into the medal positions.
O’Connor came out strong and led throughout, pulling clear on the final stretch to win in 2:11.42, another PB. Vanninen crossed second at 2:12.20.
That brilliant finish pushed O’Connor back into the medal positions, securing a bronze medal – Ireland’s third medal of the day, following Sarah Healy’s 3000m gold and bronze for Mark English in the 800m.
O’Connor’s final points tally was 4781. Vanninen took gold with 4922, while silver went to Dokter at 4826.
“If I’m going to be honest, when we were warming up I was half-preparing my fourth place speech, because I knew all those girls were great runners and it would take something special,” O’Connor told RTÉ.
“We had a plan and I didn’t follow that plan, halfway through the race I just decided ‘Frig it, I’m going to run as fast as I flipping can and hopefully no-one can keep up’, and that’s what I went out and did.
“I was just speaking to my coaches, all those girls out there are professionals, the top two and the girl who finished below me are all professional athletes, and I’m just a little girl, I’m studying, doing a Masters, I’m doing athletics on the side and to be able to finish up there with the top girls in Europe and get a bronze medal for my country is absolutely unbelievable.”
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Athletics bronze european indoor athletics championships kate o'connor Medal Take a Bow Women's Pentathlon