Kate O’Connor will start the second day of the heptathlon in silver medal position after a stunning night of action at the World Championships in Tokyo in which the Irish star secured three personal bests in her four events.
The 24-year old finished the day on 3,906 points, with Anna Hall of the United States leading the way on 4,154 and Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson in third on 3,893.
“I just came here wanting to enjoy every event,” said O’Connor after the first four events took place within four hours. “I’ve had the year of dreams so far, with the two medals I won indoors, and obviously I wanted to show it that I could transfer it into outdoors.
“I’m enjoying every second out there, also getting PBs left, right and centre, which is also amazing. But we’ve been putting in so much hard work over the last number of years, and so thankful that it’s all coming out now.
“It’s just been go-go-go, but kind of like a training day. The nerves are up and down and all over the place. But I’ve kept the heart rate as low as I could. I’ll enjoy those PBs, but then park them, then come back tomorrow fighting for every point that I can.”
O’Connor clocked a third lifetime best of 24.07 seconds in the 200 metres, the fourth and final event on day one, to move from the bronze medal position to silver going into Saturday, which features the javelin, her favourite event, in between the long jump and 800m.
[ In pictures: Kate O’Connor moves into silver medal position Opens in new window ]
After setting bests in the 100m hurdles and high jump, O’Connor started first heat of the 200m in lane seven. Getting an excellent start, her 24.07 was enough for second place, the win in that heat going to Emma Oosterwegel from the Netherlands in 24.03.
It took O’Connor’s tally to 3,906, moving ahead of three-time Olympic champion Nafi Thiam from Belgium, who dropped back to sixth on 3,818 points, after Thiam clocked 25.52 in the same heat.
Stepping into the shot put circle, O’Connor took over sole possession of third spot after throwing a best of 14.37m in the first round, not far off her best of 14.61m.
O’Connor had moved into a share of third place after the second event, setting a PB of 1.86 metres in the high jump.
The 24-year-old cleared her first five heights at the first attempt, then cleared 1.86m on her second attempt – improving her previous best of 1.84m. She came close in her three efforts at 1.89m.
[ Kate O’Connor’s ready for the main stage in TokyoOpens in new window ]
Only two women cleared that next height of 1.89, Hall moving into the lead ahead Thiam.
O’Connor also set a personal best in the first event of the day, the 100m hurdles.
Ireland’s Kate O’Connor in action in the 100m hurdles. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
She was drawn alongside Thiam and Johnson-Thompson, and held her own to clock 13.44 seconds, improving her previous best of 13.57.
The heat was won by Britain’s Jade O’Dowda in 13.34, also a personal best, while Johnson-Thompson was given the same time as O’Connor, which earned them both 1,059 points.
On a notably cooler and less humid night inside Japan’s National Stadium, three Irish athletes also went in the heats of the men’s 5,000m, with Darragh McElhinney coming closest to making Saturday’s final with an excellent effort in the second heat.
With only the top eight from each progressing, McElhinney was still in contention around the last bend, sitting in 10th. After the slow early pace, there were plenty of big kickers in contention, and McElhinney just missed out in 10th, the Cork athlete running 13:42.56.
The win there went to Binjam Meheny from Ethiopia in 13:41.52, defending champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen from Norway claiming the last qualifying spot in eighth.
Andrew Coscoran was back on the track two days after running the 1,500m final, and finished 19th in 13:56,95. In the first heat, Brian Fay went out hard, sitting in fourth for the opening laps, before dropping back to 17th in 13:31.12, the win there going to Isaac Kimeli from Belgium in 13:13.05.
The 5,000m final is set for Sunday’s closing session (11.47am Irish time).