Latest news with #O'Dowda
BBC News
10-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
O'Connor 'ecstatic' with unexpected European bronze
Ireland's Kate O'Connor admits she "wasn't expecting" to win a pentathlon bronze medal but is "ecstatic" with her performance at the European Indoor Athletics Championships.O'Connor produced a superb run to win the 800 metres and beat Great Britain's Jade O'Dowda to bronze in the final event in 24-year-old had previously set personal bests in the 60 metre hurdles, high jump and long jump, as well as a strong performance in the shot put, to move into medal contention."Honestly, I wasn't expecting to get a medal but I'm buzzing that I did," said O'Connor."My plan was to go out and run as hard as I could. I really wanted a medal and I'm ecstatic that I managed to get it." Despite her strong performance in the Netherlands, O'Connor was still outside the medal placings heading into the 800 metres.. The Newry-born athlete, who won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games for Northern Ireland in 2022, put in a storming run to win the race and edge O'Dowda to third place overall. O'Dowda is a former training partner of O'Connor, who said they had a conversation before the 800m that they would be "friends no matter what happens".O'Connor set a new Irish record of 4781, surpassing her own tally by 98 points, as she won bronze behind Finland's Saga Vanninen (4922) and Dutch athlete Sofie Doktor (4826)."To be honest, no," O'Connor said when asked if she expected to win a medal. "After the long jump I was a little upset. I had done four world class performances and was still trailing. I knew all those girls had great 800s. "I had a plan to go out and run as hard as I could and try not to be disappointed with myself."It was insane. Four girls with those kinds of scores are unbelievable. So to be part of that is amazing, to be part of the medals is even better."I hope we push each other on. The world championships are coming up soon so we'll see what happens at them."
BBC News
09-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
GB win three silvers on final day of European Indoors
Great Britain won three silvers on the final day of the European Athletics Indoor Championships to finish with seven Courtney-Bryant had to settle for second place in the women's 3,000m after being pipped on the line by Ireland's Sarah Mills was second in the men's 3,000m behind Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who took his tally of European indoor golds to a record-equalling seven with a third consecutive 1500m and 3,000m were also runners-up in the women's 4x400m relay, meaning the squad finished eighth in the medal table with one gold, three silvers and three bronze medals in Nielsen, Hannah Kelly, Emily Newnham and Amber Anning ran a national record 3:24.89 to take silver behind hosts the Netherlands in what was the final event of the O'Dowda narrowly missed out on a podium finish in the women's pentathlon after being edged out by Ireland's Kate O'Connor in the final event, the 800m.O'Dowda sat third in the standings after four of the five events, having recorded personal bests in the 60m, high jump and shot O'Connor surged to victory in the 800m to finish 30 points ahead of O'Dowda, who secured a personal best score of 4,751 Lincoln missed out on a podium finish by just two centimetres in the men's shot put, with Romania's Andrei Toader taking gold ahead of Sweden's Wictor Petersson and the Czech Republic's Tomas Stanek.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
O'Connor fourth going into last pentathlon event
Ireland's Kate O'Connor has dropped to fourth place after the penultimate long jump event in the pentathlon at the European Indoor Championship but remains in medal contention going into the concluding 800m. Personal bests in the 60m hurdles and the high jump, along with a solid shot put had put the Newry-born athlete in the silver medal position. O'Connor continued her impressive performances by producing another lifetime best in the long jump as she leapt 6.27m - 0.22m further than her previous PB - but that couldn't prevent her from falling to fourth as Finland's gold medal favourite Saga Vanninen, Dutch athlete Sofie Dokter and Great Britain's Jade O'Dowda all jumped further. Vanninen looks to have secured the gold medal as her 3989 points total gives her a 62-point advantage over Dokter. The Dutch woman has a 56-point advantage over O'Dowda, who is the sister of Republic of Ireland footballer Callum O'Dowda. O'Connor is now 34 points behind third-place O'Dowda and while both have similar 800m personal bests, the Irishwoman will hope that she can finish sufficiently ahead of the British athlete to clinch a medal, with none of the other competitors in realistic medal contention. The Newry-born Commonwealth Games silver medallist clocked 8.31 seconds in the 60m hurdles - 0.06 seconds inside her previous personal best - which left her eighth overall before producing a 1.84m high jump. O'Connor, who went into the high jump with a personal best of 1.82m, was in danger of losing ground after failing on her opening two attempts at 1.75m but produced a third-time clearance. After managing 1.78m first time, she cleared 1.81m at the third attempt before screaming in joy after succeeding in her second effort at 1.84m as she managed another personal best to leave her third overall at that stage. The Irishwoman then produced a solid 14:32m shot put - 0.22m below her personal best - but that was enough to move her up to second spot. Andrew Coscoran will compete in the men's 3000m final at 15:50 GMT where Jakob Ingebrigtsen will be a huge favourite while Letterkenny man Mark English will aim for a fifth medal at European Championship level when he races in the 800m final at 16:27. Sarah Healy will be another big Irish medal hope when she competes in the women's 3000m final at 16:35. Ireland will also be in action in the women's 4x400m medal but their medal chances look remote after Sharlene Mawdsley's withdrawal from the championships because of injury after her impressive run in the anchor leg of the 4x400m mixed relay when the Irish finished fifth.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Oxfordshire duo named in Great Britain team for European Championships
OXFORDSHIRE duo Alice Hopkins and Jade O'Dowda have been named in the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the European Athletics Indoor Championships. The event takes place in the Netherlands next month, with Thame-born Hopkins set to compete in the long jump, while Kidlington-born O'Dowda will battle in the pentathlon. Hopkins claimed long jump gold by beating O'Dowda at the UK Athletics Indoor Championships last weekend. READ AGAIN: Oxfordshire tug of war for prize of UK long jump gold UK Athletics head coach Paula Dunn said: 'Historically this has been a Championship in which the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team has thrived, but it has also been a crucial way for athletes to step into the major championship arena for the first time. 'As we begin the LA Olympic and Paralympic cycle, it is great to see a team that combines World and Olympic medallists alongside a number of developing athletes who are making their Great Britain and Northern Ireland debut. 'I am looking forward to the squad rising to the challenge, achieving personal bests, reaching finals and battling for medals in Apeldoorn.'
