I’VE HAD A KATE TIME SO FAR...
KATE O’CONNOR got over her initial nerves to revel in the experience of becoming Ireland’s first Olympic heptathlete.
The Dundalk AC hopeful finished day of competition lying 19th overall, after a mark of 13.79m in the shot put and a season’s best time of 24.77 in the 200m.
“Amazing,” said O’connor. “I came here and my goal was to not have any regrets from all the events and I walked away from that hurdles and was like, ‘Damn it, I didn’t take in the crowd and stuff’.
“It started off a little bit rough. The hurdles weren’t really what I was planning on doing but I’m really proud of how I picked myself up and then do a season’s best in the high jump (above).
“My high jump has been a bit all over the place this year because of injury but
I feel like I got rolling after that.
“The shot (right) could have been a bit better but it was pretty solid, it wasn’t terrible. I don’t think I lost too much there. I’m really proud of that 200m.
“It was only five or six weeks ago that I tore my hamstring. To run 0.04 off my personal best from lane two, I can’t complain with that.”
O’connor added: “From the high jump on I made sure to enjoy the experience and just be me, just enjoy it and lap up the whole experience because it’s another four years before it’ll come around again.
“So I wanted to enjoy it as much as I could.”
O’connor is excited about what is still to come on day two.
“I’ve been jumping really well in long jump so I really want to jump a PB,” she said.
“I know I have it in me, I’ve had a couple of breaks that have been big jumps so if I go and get a PB I’ll be very happy.
“Javelin, I’ve been throwing really well and then see where I am.”