How turning down Texas shaped Kate O'Connor's path to the top

At just 25, O'Connor is already one of Ireland's most successful athletes. This year, she could add Commonwealth Games and European Championship medals to an already impressive haul

Kate O'Connor has won four major championship medals in the last year. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile

There have been myriad turning points in Kate O'Connor's already stellar career, not least the post-Paris realisation that her presence there as Ireland’s first Olympic heptathlete was merely a stepping stone to future greatness.

With that, as she puts it, her commitment levels increased from 95% to the full 100.