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Sunday World
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Sunday World
Irish athletics golden girl Kate O'Connor shares photo with footballer boyfriend
The pair who have each been celebrating significant wins in their respective fields are pictured together in the snap Ireland's gold-medal winning athlete Kate O'Connor has shared an adorable picture of her with boyfriend, Irish striker Georgie Kelly, as the couple enjoy some downtime on holidays in Portugal. The pair who have each been celebrating significant wins in their respective fields are pictured in the snap that Kate captioned: 'A few days of R&R & celebrating the Harkins'. Kate poses for the selfie in yellow dress while Georgie grins in the background. She is on a well-deserved break after a series of stunning victories. Just last Thursday, the 24-year-old added a gold to her glittering CV at the World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany. Kate and Georgie on holidays News in 90 Seconds - Tuesday, July 29 Dominating the heptathlon to smash her Irish record with 6487 points, she declared: 'I've been going for that (record) for a long time. 'I'm in the shape of my life at the moment and to go out and do that here, at a world stage, I'm really happy with that.' It had already been a massive year for O'Connor, a master's student in communication and PR at Ulster University, who twice smashed the Irish pentathlon record indoors. She won bronze at the European Indoors in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands before winning World Indoor silver in Nanjing, China – the first ever medals Ireland had won in the multi-events at that level. She had previously won heptathlon silver at the European U-20 Championships and at the 2022 Commonwealth Games for Northern Ireland. 'Now I've finally got a gold,' she said. 'It's a great way to start my outdoor season. I'd quite a few highs there but also quite a few lows, so I'm looking forward to the next couple of weeks, trying to improve some things and really have them right going into [the World Championships in] Tokyo.' For Carlisle United's Irish striker Georgie, he has come through what Mark Hughes described as a 'torrid' time with injury to deliver a recent win that gives the club some hope in their relegation battle. In March, after girlfriend Kate took home a bronze medal from the pentathlon at the European Indoor Championships in the Netherlands, he hailed her as a 'killer'. 'She's well versed in dealing with different pressures to me. We are different, Kate is ruthless, a real competitor, win at all costs,' Kelly told the Irish Independent at the time. 'Her ability to produce under pressure last weekend, that was unreal, the pressure she was under, seeing girls perform well just before her and knowing she has to hit a certain mark or she's gone, that's the bit of my sports psyche that I'd lack. 'She's a killer and I admire so much about what she does – I probably don't tell her enough.' He's spent his teenage and adult years focused on a football career in Ireland with UCD, Derry City, Dundalk, St Patrick's Athletic and Bohemians and then cross-channel with Rotherham United and current side Carlisle. But it's his time spent with Kate that has opened Kelly's eyes to the levels needed and achievements made. 'That was the first ever medal for an Irish athlete, male or female, in a multi-event. She was the first Irish Olympian in the heptathlon so it's all new, her and her coaches are figuring it out as they go along. So to get to that level is just incredible,' he says. 'Even the fact that the pentathlon is indoor and the heptathlon is outdoor, she's always been a much better heptathlete because of the javelin, she has a monster jav, that's where she gets her points. It's some leap she's made even in six months and it's so exciting to think what we can do, there is no ceiling for Kate.' However, as Kelly is in Carlisle and O'Connor is based in Ireland, he revealed how finding time together is not easy. 'Kate's off to China for the World Championships next week, then her indoor season finishes and she might get some time off. Hopefully she will get over to me in England for a bit, before she ramps up again for the outdoor season which peaks in August. 'She can't just up and move to a base elsewhere, that's the hardest thing about being away on your own. It's only for a few years, we'll get there, we'll make it work. 'It's not like I work in an accountancy firm that's nine-to-five and I know she has weekends off, if I had a day or two off, there's no guarantee she will be off so it's a tough balance. It's not easy.'
Sunday World
a day ago
- Sport
- Sunday World
Irish athletics golden girl Kate O'Connor poses for selfie with loved up footballer Georgie
The pair who have each been celebrating significant wins in their respective fields are pictured together in the snap Ireland's gold-medal winning athlete Kate O'Connor has shared an adorable picture of her with loved-up boyfriend Irish striker Georgie Kelly together on holidays in Portugal. The pair who have each been celebrating significant wins in their respective fields are pictured in the snap that Kate captioned: 'A few days of R&R & celebrating the Harkins'. Kate poses for the selfie in yellow dress while Georgie grins in the background. She is on a well-deserved break after a series of stunning victories. Just last Thursday, the 24-year-old added a gold to her glittering CV at the World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany. Kate and Georgie on holidays News in 90 Seconds - Tuesday, July 29 Dominating the heptathlon to smash her Irish record with 6487 points, she declared: 'I've been going for that (record) for a long time. 'I'm in the shape of my life at the moment and to go out and do that here, at a world stage, I'm really happy with that.' It had already been a massive year for O'Connor, a master's student in communication and PR at Ulster University, who twice smashed the Irish pentathlon record indoors. She won bronze at the European Indoors in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands before winning World Indoor silver in Nanjing, China – the first ever medals Ireland had won in the multi-events at that level. She had previously won heptathlon silver at the European U-20 Championships and at the 2022 Commonwealth Games for Northern Ireland. 'Now I've finally got a gold,' she said. 'It's a great way to start my outdoor season. I'd quite a few highs there but also quite a few lows, so I'm looking forward to the next couple of weeks, trying to improve some things and really have them right going into [the World Championships in] Tokyo.' For Carlisle United's Irish striker Georgie, he has come through what Mark Hughes described as a 'torrid' time with injury to deliver a recent win that gives the club some hope in their relegation battle. In March, after girlfriend Kate took home a bronze medal from the pentathlon at the European Indoor Championships in the Netherlands, he hailed her as a 'killer'. 'She's well versed in dealing with different pressures to me. We are different, Kate is ruthless, a real competitor, win at all costs,' Kelly told the Irish Independent at the time. 'Her ability to produce under pressure last weekend, that was unreal, the pressure she was under, seeing girls perform well just before her and knowing she has to hit a certain mark or she's gone, that's the bit of my sports psyche that I'd lack. 'She's a killer and I admire so much about what she does – I probably don't tell her enough.' He's spent his teenage and adult years focused on a football career in Ireland with UCD, Derry City, Dundalk, St Patrick's Athletic and Bohemians and then cross-channel with Rotherham United and current side Carlisle. But it's his time spent with Kate that has opened Kelly's eyes to the levels needed and achievements made. 'That was the first ever medal for an Irish athlete, male or female, in a multi-event. She was the first Irish Olympian in the heptathlon so it's all new, her and her coaches are figuring it out as they go along. So to get to that level is just incredible,' he says. 'Even the fact that the pentathlon is indoor and the heptathlon is outdoor, she's always been a much better heptathlete because of the javelin, she has a monster jav, that's where she gets her points. It's some leap she's made even in six months and it's so exciting to think what we can do, there is no ceiling for Kate.' However, as Kelly is in Carlisle and O'Connor is based in Ireland, he revealed how finding time together is not easy. 'Kate's off to China for the World Championships next week, then her indoor season finishes and she might get some time off. Hopefully she will get over to me in England for a bit, before she ramps up again for the outdoor season which peaks in August. 'She can't just up and move to a base elsewhere, that's the hardest thing about being away on your own. It's only for a few years, we'll get there, we'll make it work. 'It's not like I work in an accountancy firm that's nine-to-five and I know she has weekends off, if I had a day or two off, there's no guarantee she will be off so it's a tough balance. It's not easy.'
Irish Examiner
6 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Gold for Kate O'Connor in the heptathlon at FISU World University Games
Kate O'Connor added a glittering gold to her growing medal haul at the World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany on Thursday evening, the Dundalk athlete dominating the heptathlon to smash her Irish record with 6487 points. O'Connor, a master's student in communication and PR at Ulster University, was a heavy favourite going into the event and the 24-year-old lived up to that billing. Her tally obliterated her previous Irish heptathlon record of 6297 from 2021, putting her fourth in the world this year, and it left her a long way in front of silver medallist Szabina Szucs (6081) of Hungary and bronze medallist Emilia Surch of Australia (6068). It had already been a massive year for O'Connor, who twice smashed the Irish pentathlon record indoors. She won bronze at the European Indoors in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands before winning World Indoor silver in Nanjing, China – the first ever medals Ireland had won in the multi-events at that level. She had previously won heptathlon silver at the European U-20 Championships and at the 2022 Commonwealth Games for Northern Ireland. On Wednesday morning, she made a shaky start in the 100m hurdles, clocking 13.89, some way down on her best of 13.57. But she bounced back with a hugely impressive 1.83m in the high jump, the second highest clearance of her career, before throwing 13.76m in the shot put. She closed the day in superb fashion, smashing her 200m personal best with 24.33, leaving her well clear in the overnight standings. She started day two in decent fashion with 6.15m in the long jump before throwing an impressive 51.87m in the javelin. That left her just needing to avoid calamity in the concluding 800m to take gold but, aware that she was on for a huge national record, O'Connor emptied the tank, hitting the line second in a lifetime best of 2:10.46. Given her sub-par performances in the hurdles and shot put, she has scope for more improvement as she looks ahead to the Tokyo World Championships in September. She is the eighth Irish competitor to have won gold at the World University Games. On the track, Ronnie Delany won over 800m in 1961; Niall Bruton and Sonia O'Sullivan took 1500m glory in 1991; while Thomas Barr won the 400m hurdles in 2015. In swimming, Gary O'Toole won the 200m breaststroke in 1991 and Shane Ryan won the 50m backstroke in 2017, while golfer Danielle McVeigh won individual gold in 2007. Meanwhile, Lauren Roy came home fourth in her semi-final of the women's 200m, clocking 24.07 into a stiff 2.5m/s headwind, her time not enough to advance as a non-automatic qualifier.
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Kate O'Connor smashes Irish heptathlon record to claim World University Games gold in style
O'Connor, a master's student in communication and PR at Ulster University, was a heavy favourite going into the event and the Dundalk athlete lived up to that billing. Her tally obliterated her previous Irish heptathlon record of 6297 from 2021, putting her fourth in the world this year, and it left her a long way in front of silver medallist Szabina Szucs (6081) of Hungary and bronze medallist Emilia Surch of Australia (6068). It had already been a massive year for O'Connor, who twice smashed the Irish pentathlon record indoors. She won bronze at the European Indoors in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands before winning World Indoor silver in Nanjing, China – the first ever medals Ireland had won in the multi-events at that level. She had previously won heptathlon silver at the European U-20 Championships and at the 2022 Commonwealth Games for Northern Ireland. On Wednesday morning, she made a shaky start in the 100m hurdles, clocking 13.89, some way down on her best of 13.57. But she bounced back with a hugely impressive 1.83m in the high jump, the second highest clearance of her career, before throwing 13.76m in the shot put. She closed the day in superb fashion, smashing her 200m personal best with 24.33, leaving her well clear in the overnight standings. She started day two in decent fashion with 6.15m in the long jump before throwing an impressive 51.87m in the javelin. That left her just needing to avoid calamity in the concluding 800m to take gold but, aware that she was on for a huge national record, O'Connor emptied the tank, hitting the line second in a lifetime best of 2:10.46. Given her sub-par performances in the hurdles and shot put, she has scope for more improvement as she looks ahead to the Tokyo World Championships in September. She is the eighth Irish competitor to have won gold at the World University Games. On the track, Ronnie Delany won over 800m in 1961; Niall Bruton and Sonia O'Sullivan took 1500m glory in 1991; while Thomas Barr won the 400m hurdles in 2015. In swimming, Gary O'Toole won the 200m breaststroke in 1991 and Shane Ryan won the 50m backstroke in 2017, while golfer Danielle McVeigh won individual gold in 2007. Elsewhere, Lauren Roy came home fourth in her semi-final of the women's 200m, clocking 24.07 into a stiff 2.5m/s headwind, her time not enough to advance as a non-automatic qualifier.
Irish Examiner
7 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Kate O'Connor on course for gold at World University Games
Kate O'Connor has put herself in prime position to win gold at the World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany – the Dundalk athlete sitting atop the overnight standings in the heptathlon with four of the seven events completed. O'Connor racked up 3737 points on day one, leaving her 137 points clear of Hungary's Szabina Szucs, with Austria's Emilia Surch third on 3552. O'Connor, a master's student in communication and PR at Ulster University, started the day with a 13.89-second clocking in the 100m hurdles, some way down on her best of 13.57. But she bounced back with a hugely impressive 1.83m in the high jump, the second highest clearance of her career, which she went over at her first attempt. That left her atop the leaderboard on 2010 points, and O'Connor extended her lead in the shot put, throwing 13.76m. She closed the day in spectacular fashion, smashing her personal best with 24.33, her previous best being the 24.73 she ran in 2022. It's already been a record-breaking year for the 24-year-old, who won pentathlon bronze at the European Indoors in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands before winning World Indoor silver in Nanjing, China. Kate O'Connor, from Dundalk in Louth, representing Ulster University and Ireland. Pic: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile. She smashed the Irish pentathlon record twice indoors, and is on track to smash her Irish heptathlon record of 6297, which dates back to 2021. Her current tally of 3737 points is well clear of the 3666 she had amassed at the same point of the competition when she set the national record. O'Connor will be back on track on Thursday morning for the heptathlon long jump, with the javelin in the early afternoon and the climactic 800m at 7.12pm Irish time. A live stream is available on Just four Irish athletes have ever won gold at the World University Games: Ronnie Delany over 800m in 1961; Niall Bruton and Sonia O'Sullivan over 1500m in 1991; and Thomas Barr in the 400m hurdles in 2015. Barring injury or any major glitches on day two, O'Connor is likely to add her name to that list. She is strong in all the remaining events, having improved her long jump best to 6.32m this year and her 800m best to 2:11.42, while the javelin is usually her forte. Her best of 52.92m dates to 2019 and this will be her first time throwing it in competition since last year's Paris Olympics. Elsewhere, Jack Raftery came home fourth in the men's 400m final, the Dubliner unable to quite reproduce his recent heroics at the European Team Championships, where he became the second Irishman in history after David Gillick to break 45 seconds. Raftery left himself a difficult task after finishing third in his semi-final, which saw him drawn on the difficult inside lane for the final. Nonetheless he charged into medal contention off the final bend but couldn't quite pull it off, coming home fourth in 45.69, with gold going to South Africa's Lythe Pilay in 44.84. Lauren Roy advanced to the semi-finals of the women's 200m after finishing second in her heat in 23.57. Meanwhile, Sarah Lavin was in action in Eisenstadt, Austria, the Limerick athlete clocking 12.83 (+1.3m/s) to finish third in the women's 100m hurdles, with Poland's Pia Skrzyszowska taking victory in 12.72. Lavin had earlier clocked 12.92 to finish runner-up in the heats.
