'Why not grab everything?' - O'Connor already turning mind to China

After a whirlwind few days since her history-making bronze at the European indoors, Kate O’Connor has a global challenge next on the agenda

SO MUCH TO CELEBRATE: Kate O'Connor at Dublin Airport with her bronze medal which she won in the Women’s Pentathlon 800m at the European Athletics Indoor Championships. Pic: INPHO/Ben Brady

With four events completed in the pentathlon in Apeldoorn last Sunday, and just the 800m remaining, Kate O’Connor walked off the track, met her two lead coaches – her father Michael and Tom Reynolds – and started to cry.

She’d just jumped a huge personal best in the long jump, 6.27m, added to huge personal bests in the 60m hurdles and high jump. And yet it left her sitting fourth. Right then, it looked for all the world like a first European medal at senior level had slipped through her grasp, with former training partner Jade O’Dowda of Britain clear in third by 34 points, which converts to about 2.4 seconds over 800m, an event where they both had a best of 2:11.