Heptathlete O’Connor wins Northern Ireland’s first gold of Games

O’Connor wins NI’s first gold medal in heptathlonImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Kate O’Connor wins Northern Ireland’s first gold medal of the 2026 Commonwealth GamesByLauren McCannBBC Sport NI Journalist at Scotstoun StadiumPublished29 July 2026, 20:57 BSTUpdated 44 minutes agoKate O’Connor has won Northern Ireland’s first gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in the heptathlon at Scotstoun Stadium.O’Connor, a world indoor and outdoor silver medallist, finished top of the standings with 6,569 points and is the first new heptathlon champion at the Games in eight years.England’s Jade O’Dowda claimed silver while Australia’s Tori West won the battle for bronze.It is O’Connor’s first senior outdoor gold and her first gold at her third Games, after she finished eighth in 2018 and claimed silver in 2022.The 25-year-old becomes NI’s 12th medal winner in Glasgow, claiming the country’s first gold at the Games in athletics since 1986.Kerr and Wightman revel in Wednesday warm-up for mile final