Irish Stars Rise at World Athletics Championships: O’Connor & McPhillips Lead the Way
What a remarkable week it was for Irish athletics at Tokyo’s National Stadium.
Kate O’Connor emerged as the star of the Championships, becoming just the seventh Irish athlete ever to medal at a World Championship after winning silver in the heptathlon. Her performance, combined with several other impressive displays, has left Irish athletics looking ahead to the next Olympic cycle with an exciting sense of optimism.
Cian McPhillips also burst onto the global stage, showcasing the kind of running that fans of the Longford man have long been hoping to see since his underage career. It is never easy to transition from youth star to the senior ranks, and McPhillips has had a rocky road, but that 4th place finish in the men’s 800m showed his breakthrough moment.
On Saturday, September 20th, both O’Connor and McPhillips had the nation captivated as McPhillips’ record-breaking run followed Kate O’Connor’s silver medal in the heptathlon. Both events took place within 90 minutes, giving Irish sports fans a thrilling glimpse of what could be the next generation of Irish athletics stars as we start looking ahead to the 2028 Olympics.
Kate O’Connor Caps Off an Incredible Year
Kate O’Connor was already shining in Irish athletics before her World Championship silver. Earlier this year, she had won a European Indoor bronze in March, followed just 12 days later by a World Indoor silver, Ireland’s first-ever medals in multi-event competitions. She then secured gold at the World University Games in July, setting a new personal best of 6,487 points.
In Tokyo, O’Connor raised her game further, recording personal bests in five of the seven heptathlon events: the 100m hurdles, high jump, 200m, javelin, and the concluding 800m. Remarkably, she achieved this while nursing a knee injury sustained during the long jump.
Her total of 6,714 points secured second place ahead of defending champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson, firmly establishing O’Connor as Ireland’s newest world medallist. With the World Indoors and European Championships in 2026 on the horizon, expectations for further medals are already high.
Cian McPhillips Announces Himself
Just over an hour after O’Connor’s silver, Cian McPhillips lined up for a stacked men’s 800m final. Having won both his heat and semi-final, setting a new national record of 1:43.18 in the latter, he entered the final as a genuine contender.
In the final, McPhillips executed a clever race plan, holding back early before launching a devastating late surge. He went from 8th to 4th in the blink of an eye, narrowly missing out on a medal as the finish line came just a few metres too soon.
Still, the achievement was monumental. McPhillips clocked another national record of 1:42.15, his second in just 48 hours. He was only beaten by the three Paris Olympic medallists, with Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi winning in a championship record of 1:41.86. It was also the first 800m final in history where all eight runners finished under 1:43.00, which is proof of the outstanding level of competition.
Not all results were positive, with the underperformance of Ireland’s relay squads proving a disappointment. However, these setbacks did little to overshadow the historic highs achieved in Tokyo.
Other Highlights
Team Ireland sent 28 athletes to the World Championships, and while O’Connor and McPhillips took the headlines, others also made their mark:
- Sarah Healy and Andrew Coscoran both reached the 1,500m finals, something never achieved before by Ireland at World or Olympic level.
- Veteran Fionnuala McCormack delivered another superb performance, finishing 9th in the women’s marathon.
- Nicola Tuthill reached the hammer final, improving on her showing from Paris.
Not all results were positive, with the underperformance of Ireland’s relay squads proving a disappointment. However, these setbacks did little to overshadow the historic highs achieved in Tokyo.
Conclusion
The European Championships arrive next year before focus turns to the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. With Kate O’Connor and Cian McPhillips leading the way, and the continued progress of talents like Sarah Healy and Rhasidat Adeleke (set to return from injury), Ireland has plenty of reasons for optimism.
Stay tuned for more weekly sports updates.
Liam Lacey
Liam is a sportswriter from County Laois in Ireland who specializes in delivering content on GAA and Football matters (though he does see himself as somewhat of a tennis aficionado also!). Liam has written about All Ireland Gaelic Football and Hurling Championships, Premier League, Champions League and International Football offering expert opinion and match previews and predictions. Occasionally even getting some right!