JADE O’Dowda described her top 10 finish in the heptathlon at the Paris Olympics as a ‘childhood dream’.

The 24-year-old, from Kidlington, ended up a solid 10th at her first Olympic Games, after finishing seventh overall at the European Athletics Championships in June.

Her first day in Paris saw her claim a season’s best in the 100m hurdles with a time of 13.53 secs.

That was followed by 1.80m in the high jump, and in the evening, she achieved 13.10m in the shot put and ran the 200m in 24.97 secs, leaving her in 17th at the end of day one.

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A long jump distance of 6.33m put O’Dowda in 11th after five events, and that was followed by 44.05m in the javelin.

A time of 2:12.12 in the 800m, the final event, left O’Dowda on a very creditable 6,280 points and 10th place overall.

She said: “This is a childhood dream, so to say I am top 10 in the Olympic Games is another level for me, so I am super happy.

“Dream number one was getting to the Olympics. As an athlete you always want more. I’ll work hard and see where it gets me.”

Fellow Team GB athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson won silver, narrowly missing out on gold to Belgium’s Nafissatou Thiam.

O’Dowda said of Johnson-Thompson: “It is so inspiring, and the fact I got to watch it all in front of me is amazing.  

“We’ve shared the last couple of weeks together, and what she has done is absolutely incredible. I am so pleased for her. It is what she wanted, and there is nothing more she could have done.”

O’Dowda is the younger sister of former Oxford United winger Callum O’Dowda.

The 29-year-old came through the academy at United, before joining Bristol City in July 2016. He then signed for Cardiff City in June 2022 on a three-year deal.