O’Connor wins Commonwealth heptathlon as Australia set new record for swimming golds

Kate O’Connor cruised to heptathlon gold for Northern Ireland as Australia rounded off their best ever Commonwealth Games in the pool with nine more swimming gold medals on Wednesday for a total of 37.

O’Connor said she was “gutted” by her shot put effort on Tuesday in miserable wet conditions that put her quest for gold in danger.

But the 25-year-old was a class apart from the field to go one better than the silver she won in Birmingham four years ago and secure Northern Ireland’s first athletics Commonwealth gold since 1986.

England’s Jade O’Dowda claimed silver, while Australia’s Tori West won the battle for bronze.

Fresh from setting a new world record in the mile earlier this month, Josh Kerr’s bid for gold in his homeland promises to be one of the events of the Games on Saturday night.

The two-time Olympic medallist at 1 500m cruised into the final, winning his heat on Wednesday morning despite easing off in the final stages to whip up the crowd.