Reflecting on her performances in Poland, where she set a new Irish record score of 4,839 points, O’Connor still felt a sense of disappointment with the colour of the medal she ended with.
“I did go in wanting to win the competition. Now, I’m very satisfied with the score because I got better than last year,” she explained.
“I’d be lying if I told you I was satisfied with the bronze, because I’m not. I want to win golds and when I go into the competition when I’m the shape to do it and I don’t do it, it’s disappointing and I don’t think it’s something I should get over, it’s something I should make sure it doesn’t happen next time.
“Overall, I was happy with the score, new national record and I was dealing with things I wasn’t last year, like pressure and body issues [Achilles and knee niggles], so it’s exciting for outdoor season. I want to continue building.”
With her Achilles and reoccurring knee problems behind her for now, O’Connor is looking forward to throwing the javelin pain free and has her eyes set on breaking another record.
“Last season, I was throwing so well in training and had made so much progression and I threw a PB on a knee that I shouldn’t have really been able to throw with [in the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo in which she won silver].
“I would love to break the national record. That’s been a goal of mine for a long time and I think it’s very attainable.”
