Kate O'Connor is the Commonwealth Games champion after sealing heptathlon gold with a composed performance in the concluding 800m, completing a superb two day campaign in Glasgow.
The Newry/Dundalk athlete went into the final event holding a commanding 258 point advantage over England's Jade O'Dowda after producing outstanding performances in the long jump and javelin earlier in the day. She safely converted that advantage into gold to add another major medal to an already remarkable eighteen months.
O'Connor crossed the line first in 2:10.45, to bring her final tally to 6569 points.
England's Jade O'Dowda claimed silver on 6278 points, while Australia's Tori West completed the podium with 6104 points.
The gold crowns an exceptional championships for O'Connor, who twice traded the overall lead with O'Dowda during the opening day before taking control through her strongest events. After leading following the high jump, she briefly slipped behind after the shot put before a brilliant victory in the 200m restored her overnight advantage.
She strengthened her grip on the title on Wednesday by producing the best long jump of the competition with 6.37m before virtually putting the championship beyond doubt with an outstanding 52.85m javelin throw, extending her lead to 258 points before the final discipline.
Anna McCauley also produced an encouraging championships, highlighted by a personal best of 13.70 seconds in the 100m hurdles and another lifetime best of 6.23m in the long jump.
The Lisburn athlete finished 8th overall on 5994 points after 2:10.86 in the 800m, finishing behind O'Connor in 2nd.
O'Connor's victory adds another major international medal to her growing collection and further cements her place among the world's leading combined events athletes.
All eyes will now turn to next month's European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, where an even tougher challenge awaits. If O'Connor is to complete a remarkable double by adding European gold to her Commonwealth title, she is expected to come up against some of the biggest names in the sport, including Belgium's Nafissatou Thiam, Finland's Saga Vanninen and, fitness permitting, Great Britain's Katarina Johnson Thompson.
