Kate O’Connor Shines at National Indoor Championships with Personal Bests
Kate O’Connor delivered a strong performance at the National Indoor Championships, achieving personal bests in both the 60m hurdles and the long jump, signaling a promising start to her 2026 season.
Hurdles Success
O’Connor secured a silver medal in the 60m hurdles, clocking a time of 8.21 seconds. This marked a significant improvement upon her previous best of 8.30 seconds, despite finishing behind Sarah Lavin, who won in 8.07 seconds, claiming her eighth consecutive indoor title and 19th senior title overall. Irish Times
Long Jump Triumph
Following her hurdles success, O’Connor excelled in the long jump, winning gold with an impressive opening leap of 6.50 meters. This jump is now the third-fastest ever recorded by an Irish woman, surpassed only by Elizabeth Ndudi (6.63m) and Kelly Proper. Irish Examiner She followed up with jumps of 6.29m and 6.35m, opting to skip her remaining three attempts, mirroring the jump allocation in the pentathlon.
Preparation for World Indoors
O’Connor is using the National Indoor Championships as preparation for the World Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland, which are less than three weeks away. RTÉ She expressed delight with her performance, stating her aim is to replicate this form at the World Indoors and compete with the top athletes.
“I came here to sharpen up, observe where I’m at, so I’m absolutely delighted,” O’Connor said. “The training is all coming together and I hope I can just replicate the same when I get to World Indoors, perform with those top girls, and hopefully do something good again.”
Coaching and Future Goals
O’Connor also acknowledged the role of her coaches, including her father Michael, in her success. She emphasized that her results demonstrate the effectiveness of their training regime. Irish Times
“It’s lovely for my coaches too,” she added. “Whenever I head out and do things like that, it shows that the work we’re doing behind the scenes is actually working. I consider my coaches don’t deliver themselves enough credit, but they really realize what they’re doing, we’re all delighted with what we’ve produced.”
O’Connor’s 8.21 in the 60m hurdles also places her third on the Irish all-time list, behind Lavin and Derval O’Rourke. RTÉ