James Toney In Glasgow

Kate O'Connor won Northern Ireland’s first Commonwealth athletics gold in 40 years, taking the Glasgow 2026 heptathlon with 6,569 points and beating England’s Jade O’Dowda by 291 points. The victory came despite cold, wet conditions and the pressure of entering a major championship as the favourite. O’Connor is now preparing for the European Championships in Birmingham, where she will face returning world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson and other leading competitors, including Annik Kälin; Olympic champion Nafissatou Thiam will miss the event while continuing her injury comeback.