Ireland's Kate O’Connor wins historic heptathlon silver with five personal bests at World Championships

Kate O'Connor of Ireland made history by winning a silver medal in the women's heptathlon at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, becoming the first Irish athlete to earn a global outdoor multi-events medal. She scored a remarkable 6714 points, setting five personal bests and breaking her own national record while finishing second behind U.S. athlete Anna Hall. O'Connor's performance ended a long Irish medal drought in track and field events at global outdoor championships, the first since Rob Heffernan's 2013 race walk gold. Despite battling a knee injury sustained during the long jump, she delivered stellar performances in the javelin—setting a national record with a 53.06m throw—and the 800m, securing her silver medal. This achievement capped an outstanding year for O'Connor, who had previously won medals at the European Indoors, World Indoors, and World University Games. Her success signals a promising new chapter for Irish athletics on the world stage.