Kate O'Connor in third place after three events of the penthatalon in World Indoor championships

Michael Bolton

Kate O'Connor is currently in third place heading into this evening after three events of the pentathlon in the World Indoor Championships.

O'Connor finished fifth in the 60-meter hurdles with her time of 8.23, clocking just outside her lifetime best of 8.21.

She then finished fourth in the high jump with a 1.81m clearance.

In the shot put, she threw a personal best of 14.70m, leaving her third on 2909 points going into the evening session.

Sofie Dokter of the Netherlands is out in front with 2942 points, while US superstar Anna Hall is second with 2926. Poland’s Adrianna Sulek-Schubert is in fourth with 2875, just 34 points behind O’Connor.

Up next will be the long jump at 4:40 pm Irish time, and the event will finish with the 800m at 7:00 pm.

Meanwhile, Sarah Lavin turned in an off-colour performance in the heats of the women’s 60m hurdles, the two-time world indoor finalist finishing fifth in 8.08, well down on her season’s best of 7.98. It wasn’t enough to advance to the semi-final.

“I'm lost for words, and I wish I could tell you exactly what happened,” she said.

“I had a very good warm-up. There's nothing that signalled that I might give a performance like that. I don't know if I've come to a championship and gone out the first round ever. I'm incredibly disappointed.”