Kate O’Connor won the women’s heptathlon at Birmingham 2026 with 6,751 points.
The Irish athlete’s winning total was a national record and secured Ireland’s second gold medal of the championships. She held her nerve through the final event, the 800 metres, after the overall lead had changed several times during the two-day competition.
O’Connor’s score improved her previous Irish record by 37 points. Her victory came in a tightly contested field: Emma Oosterwegel of the Netherlands won silver with 6,713 points, while Dutch teammate Sofie Dokter took bronze with 6,664.
O’Connor also produced a lifetime best of 6.55 metres in the long jump during the competition. Her performance in Birmingham was especially notable because the top four athletes all exceeded 6,600 points, making it one of the strongest European heptathlons of the season.
The heptathlon contains seven events across two days: hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 metres, long jump, javelin and 800 metres. Athletes receive points for each performance rather than a simple finishing position.