Ulster University athlete, Kate O’Connor, has broken her own Irish heptathlon record of 6297, totalling 6487 points overall to claim World University Games gold. This result now positions her fourth in the global rankings, an extraordinary accomplishment for Irish Athletics.
Across two days of intense competition, the Ulster University Master’s student excelled over all seven heptathlon events. As she headed into the final 800m, Kate already led by 373 points and claimed her victory with a personal best of 2:10.46.
Posting consistently strong results across the board, Kate opened her campaign with 13.89s in the 100m hurdles, 1.83m in the high jump, and another personal best of 24.33s in the 200m. On day two, she shone once again with an impressive 6.15m in the long jump, a 51.87m javelin throw, and finally, her spectacular 800m to secure the title.
This gold medal follows an incredible run of success for Kate, who earlier this year became the first Irish athlete to achieve senior medals in both the multi-event at the European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn and the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing earlier this year, where she claimed bronze and silver respectively.
Ulster University celebrates Kate’s achievement
Professor Cathy Gormley-Heenan, Provost at Ulster University, congratulated Kate on her success:
“We were absolutely delighted to watch Kate’s star rise on the world stage. She is a shining example of the amazing student athletes in our Performance Sport Scholarship Programme and we can’t wait to see what she does next. We will be cheering her on loudly as her incredible journey continues.”
Alison Moffitt, Sports Development Officer at Ulster University, said:
“We were delighted to watch Kate make history last night as the first ever Irish multi-event athlete to win gold at the World University Games. This extraordinary achievement adds to an incredible year of groundbreaking success, following a bronze medal at the European Indoor Championships and a stunning silver at the World Indoor Championships.
"Kate’s relentless dedication, resilience, and passion for excellence have not only raised the bar for Irish athletics but also, we hope, will inspire a generation of emerging student athletes. We are immensely proud to have been able to support Kate through our Performance Sport Programme – funded by the University and Lacuna Developments – which enables her to balance both her academic and sporting ambitions. We wish her continued success this season and beyond.”
Balancing sport and study
Alongside her glittering athletics career, Kate is currently completing a Master’s degree in Communications and Public Relations at Ulster University. Her ability to combine academic success with elite sport makes her a worthy role model for student athletes across Ireland and beyond.
Photography Credit: Shauna Clinton, Sportsfile
