O'Connor takes European heptathlon gold with Irish record 6,751 in Birmingham

Kate O'Connor won heptathlon gold at the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, scoring an Irish record 6,751 points across seven events. The 24-year-old from Newry sat third at the halfway mark before climbing to first. Emma Oosterwegel took silver; Sofie Dokter bronze. It was O'Connor's senior European outdoor debut. She dedicated the title to her late grandmother, Madeleine.