Olympic gold medallist Nina Kennedy will make her long-awaited return to competitive pole vaulting at next month's Perth Track Classic, ending a 518-day hiatus. The Australian record holder, who underwent surgery for a hamstring injury in early 2024 and later suffered a setback in the same muscle, will compete on February 14 at the bronze-level World Athletics Continental Tour event.
Kennedy, 28, was initially expected to return at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne in late March but will now contest both events ahead of the national titles and her Commonwealth Games gold medal defence in Glasgow. The Paris Olympic champion last jumped at a Diamond League meet in Rome in September 2024, a month after becoming the first Australian woman to win an Olympic gold in a field event.
Joining Kennedy in Perth will be dual Olympic pole vaulter Kurtis Marschall, a bronze medallist at last year's world championships. Marschall, who carries a 5.95m personal best, is aiming for a hat-trick of Commonwealth Games gold medals and expressed excitement about opening his season in Australia. 'You never know what's going to happen in pole vault. I'm going into every competition thinking that today could be the day that I jump six metres,' he said.
The field also includes Australian 800m runner Peter Bol, 100m champion Rohan Browning, Oceania record holder Zoe Hobbs, world U20 bronze medallist Tryphena Hewett, and Japanese vaulter Misaki Morota. Kennedy, who set her personal best of 4.91m in 2023, has indicated her sights are set on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with Brisbane a 'maybe, maybe not.'
