Lara set for World Decathlon Championships

A local woman will be taking part in the first ever Women’s World Decathlon Championships this weekend in the United States reports Stephen Farrell.

Lara O’Byrne (23), Lucan will be competing in ten events as part of these Championships on Saturday and Sunday in Ohio.

“It’s a great achievement, she will be making history as she will be taking part in the first Women’s World Decathlon event,” said Lara’s mother, Ann who is also Lara’s “biggest supporter”.

The Donore Harriers athlete left for the championships last Sunday.

“I have a daughter who lives in Toronto and they’re driving up to Ohio,” explained Ann.

These Championships are something of a protest event, according to the organisers.

“As men line up at the start for the Decathlon at the Paris 2024 Olympics, an inequity persists: Women are still barred from competing in this iconic event which crowns the world’s greatest athlete,” the organisers of the event state on their website.

“We’re done waiting for permission to compete – we’re organising our own competition,” they continue.

Ann also agrees that women should be allowed to take part in the decathlon in the Olympics.

“Women can do it, women should be allowed to do it,” maintains Ann.

Over 30 athletes will be going to the Championships in Ohio, according to Ann.

On Saturday, Lara will take part in the 100m flat, the long jump, the shot put, the high jump and the 400m, while on Sunday she will take part in the 100m hurdles, the discus, the pole vault, the javelin and the 1500m.

Up to this Lara has been competing in the heptathlon where she was the National Heptathlon Champion for two years in a row and the Pentathlon, where she was crowned the national senior indoor combined event champion for 2024 and for which she received the Active South Dublin Sports Star of the Month award for January.

The Donore Harriers athlete is coached by Gerry Ronan.

To qualify for the World Decathlon Championships Lara had to forward all her results and times and personal bests for the various events except for the pole vault, discus and 1500m.

Naturally, Lara is a little anxious prior to competing in the inaugural Women’s World Decathlon.

“Lara suffered a quad injury in competition back in May,” said Ann, who added that after physiotherapy treatment “all is ok now”.

Also like many multi-discipline athletes there are some events that Lara perhaps feels less confident about than others.

“She dreads the 800m, which is in the heptathlon.

“She hasn’t been able to do any training for the 1500m (in the decathlon), but because it’s longer than the 800m she can do it slower,” said Ann.

Lara hopes to concentrate on the decathlon if these Championships go well for her, according to Ann.

“If it goes well, Lara will concentrate on the decathlon and hopefully it will be allowed in the Olympics,” said Ann.

Lara is also a high achiever outside of athletics and loves the outdoors.

“She graduated from Trinity with Environmental Science and she coaches part-time in King’s Hospital.

“She has a big following on Tik-Tok, she has recently been doing cliff diving in Italy and in Ballycastle she was doing diving lessons,” said Ann.

The Women’s World Decathlon Championships can be viewed online at womens-decathlon.com with the organisers stating that the livestream will begin at 1:45 pm Eastern time (5.45 pm, Irish time) on Saturday and Sunday.