Editor’s note: Stuart Weir has been covering the European Athletics Championships from August 9 to August 16. Great story each day, takeaways each day, plus an amazing number of final day stories! We know you will enjoy the pieces! Thanks, Stuart!
Kate O’Connor
The heptathlon is an event in which athletes compete over 7 disciplines, and at the end Kate O’Connor wins! It had been quite a year for Kate. She took home a bronze medal in the pentathlon at the World Indoors. Then, in the last three weeks, she has won the Commonwealth Heptathlon (6714 points) and the European Championships (6751). I just hope she finds another heptathlon next week, or she will be bored.
Kate is an athlete with a complicated nationality. Born in Northern Ireland, she competes for the Northern Ireland team at the Commonwealth Games, but otherwise for the Republic of Ireland. What is constantly striking in the pictures of her is that, despite the intense competition over 2 days, she always seems to be smiling. Of course, Nafi Thiam was absent this week, but you can only compete against those who are there.
One of the things that makes the heptathlon and decathlon special is the camaraderie between the athletes. When any other event finishes, the medalists are celebrated and the “losers” skulk off into the sunset. Multi-eventers have a lap of honor together, celebrating the very fact that they have “won” by completing the challenge of running, jumping, throwing, hurdling, etc. It is an event in which the UK has had significant success over the years, with athletes including Denise Lewis, Daley Thompson, Jessica Ennis, and Katarina Johnson-Thompson. The part of Kate O’Connor which identifies as British – as opposed to Irish – can be added to that illustrious list.
Her performances were:
|
Event |
Mark |
Result |
|
Heptathlon |
6751 |
1 |
|
100m Hurdles |
13.30 |
4 |
|
High Jump |
1.86 |
2 |
|
Shot Put |
13.96 |
10 |
|
200m |
23.79 |
3 |
|
Long Jump |
6.55 |
3 |
|
Javelin Throw |
50.16 |
3 |
|
800m |
2:11.74 |
3 |
She had an emotional yet rational reaction to a long competition: “That was the most nerve-wracking 800 meters of my whole life. I knew I had a job to do just like I have had a few jobs to do these past weeks. I was conscious there were two Dutch girls close behind me (in the standings), so I knew that the tactics would come into play. I had to make sure I got into a safe spot to avoid any barging. Then it was a case of settling in and executing the tactics as best as possible. A few years ago, I would never have dreamt this would happen.”
Kate added, ” It’s been a long two years; there’s been a lot of medals, but also the increasing pressure that comes with every competition, and each one of those has been different. Sometimes I don’t give my dad (and coach) enough credit for how he handles the pressure every single time. He still turns up to training, day in, day out, because this is my dream – but it is also his dream too. I think I have to dedicate this medal to him because without his support and hard work I wouldn’t be jumping around here right now. The number of Irish fans here tonight is incredible; when you’re doing a lap of honor like that, and you can hear all the kids screaming at you for photos and autographs, it is so surreal. I think I am starting to understand that I can have an effect on the younger population and all I’m showing is that if you work hard and stick with it year in, year out, amazing things can happen”.
