NEWRY World silver medallist Kate O’Connor has been crowned Athlete of the Year at the 123.ie National Athletics Awards which took place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Santry.
O’Connor, who competes for Dundalk St Gerard’s AC, took top honours following a remarkable season that saw her win silver in the heptathlon at the World Championships in Tokyo, gold at the World University Games, and medals at both the World and European Indoor Championships.She twice broke her own national heptathlon and pentathlon records, finishing the year as the top-ranked European and number two in the world.
“To win four major medals is something I could never have dreamt of at the start of the year, and to break the barriers I’ve broken as well – it’s been insane,” she said. “It’s going to be hard to top in the future, but I have my sights set on bigger and better things. I’m back into training now.”
