European Athletics Championships: O’Connor in heptathlon contention after two events

Ireland’s Kate O’Connor sits in second place after two events of the women’s heptathlon at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.

The Newry-born 25-year-old claimed gold at the Commonwealth Games and made a good start to her bid for further success on Friday, one point off Poland’s Adrianna Sulek-Schubert who leads with way with 2135 after the morning session.

Germany’s Sophie Weissenberg sits in third on 2074, while Switzerland’s Annik Kalin is a further 20 points back.

O’Connor recorded a personal best in the 100m hurdles, finishing fourth in heat two with a time of 13:30 to come in 11th overall.

The race was won by Lithuania’s Beatrice Juskeviciute with a season best 13:09, ahead of Italy’s Sveva Gerevini and Weissenberg.

In the high jump, O’Connor again produced a personal best of 1.86m which was matched by Sulek-Schubert.

The heptathlon resumes on Friday evening with the shot put at 19:35 BST with the 200m to follow at 20:55.

Andrew Coscoran secured his place in the final of the men’s 1500m, finishing fourth in his heat with a time of 3:41.86, while a disappointed Cathal Doyle lodged an appeal after falling in his heat, yet finished the race.

Both Ireland’s men’s and women’s 4x400m relay teams missed out on a place in their respective finals with the men just one second off the national record.