Given that spectacular 2025 she had, the strain was on O’Connor to at the least win a medal in Glasgow and it solely ramped up after Katrina Johnson-Thompson, who had gained gold forward of her in 2022, pulled out.
The Englishwoman’s withdrawal paved the best way for shot at that coveted gold, however she nonetheless needed to exit and ship which she did with aplomb.
O’Connor ended on 6,569 factors, 291 forward of her nearest challenger, England’s Jade O’Dowda but it surely wasn’t all simple.
Resilience is a key trait for any sportsperson however significantly a heptathlete.
Fortunes can fluctuate throughout the seven occasions so it’s wanted in ample provide to come back out on prime on the finish of two days of competitors.
It was significantly pertinent for O’Connor in a rain-soaked second session of the occasion on Tuesday night.
After begin within the morning, that introduced a 3rd place end within the 100m hurdles and a season’s finest 1.82m within the excessive bounce, O’Connor struggled within the shot put and dipped nicely under her excessive requirements by throwing simply 12.85m because the torrential rain hammered down.
She stated attempting to grip the shot put in that rain was akin to attempting to raise a bar of cleaning soap and that she was “gutted” and “emotional” as she “made it so much simpler for the remainder of them to beat me”.
Her resilience was proven in abundance within the 200m that adopted as she defied the weather to simply win her warmth in a time of 24.14.
The Newry-born athlete added she needed to “work actually arduous” on Wednesday and that she did, ending with a flourish.
First got here a giant leap of 6.37m within the lengthy bounce, then one other season’s finest, this time within the javelin of 52.85m that far exceeded these round her.
Will probably be significantly satisfying as that was an occasion she had labored arduous at bettering heading into 2026.
All that was left was to carry her nerve within the 800m and she or he did that and extra, cruising to victory in a time of two:10.46 simply because the solar broke by for the celebrations at Scotstoun.
“I got here right here anticipating so much from myself and I actually needed to attain like 6,600 or 6,700 and open up my season as a result of that is the form I felt I used to be in,” she added.
“After day one I needed to rain examine myself a bit, it is not all the time about getting enormous huge scores however competing and getting one of the best out of your self with the weather and challenges.
“I attempted to navigate it as finest as I might. The shot put did not go to plan, it wants work in these circumstances, however I am completely happy general with how I did.
“There’s numerous positives to take from it. I’ve bought a gold medal spherical my neck so I can not say rather more.”
