Commonwealth Games 2026: Kate O’Connor wins first gold in heptathlon

In the year O’Connor was favorite going into the event after the late withdrawal of England’s Katharina Johnson-Thompson, who won gold in 2022.

The Newry-born athlete led after the first two events on Tuesday. She ran the 100m hurdles in 13.54 seconds and cleared a season-best 1.82m in the high jump.

She got into the shootout by throwing just 12.85 in difficult conditions during the rain-soaked night session.

While she said she was “troubled” by that performance, she rallied and came back well to run the 200m in a season-best 24.14, just 0.07 off her personal best as she cruised to victory in her heat.

She scored 3,731 points in the four events to top the rankings on the second day of the competition, which ended on Wednesday, and looked set for gold with a 49-point lead over Ododa.

O’Connor added to that lead on Wednesday morning with a record of 1.82m in the long jump and a season-best 52.85m in the javelin to advance to 258 points.

She finished first in the 800m, running 2:10.45 to take NY’s first multi-level gold medal since Dame Mary Peters won the pentathlon in 1974.

NI team-mate Anna McCauley finished behind O’Connor in the 800m.

O’Connor will receive her gold medal on Thursday at 18:30 BST.