Kennedy Soars to World Glory with Record Breaking Gold

Pole vaulter Nina Kennedy (WA, Paul Burgess) can now add “World Champion” to her growing list of achievements, claiming global gold alongside Olympic champion Katie Moon (USA) after a battle on the field at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. 

In a duel that saw the Western Australian face off against the defending champion, 26-year-old Kennedy twice broke her national record (4.82m) when clearing 4.85m on first attempt, and once again on her final attempt at 4.90m.

As the women finished square, both unable to clear 4.95 after three attempts, officials offered the pole vaulters a choice of facing off once more or sharing the gold.  In a scene reminiscent of the Tokyo Olympic high jump final, where Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim and Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi went for the latter, Kennedy and Moon locked eyes and embraced as they decided to share their winning moment.

For Kennedy, the gold medal represents her maiden world title following her bronze in Oregon last year, and an eight-centimetre personal best as she becomes Australia’s 11th world champion in track and field and soars to ninth on the world all-time list. It was also Australia’s first pole vault world title since Steve Hooker in 2009.

“It is unbelievable. It’s a huge honour to share this gold with Katie. It shows that dreams really do come true,” Kennedy said.

“Last year I didn’t really believe that I belonged on the podium but tonight I was going for gold and really, deep down, I believed in myself and came up with the goods.

“I have been planning the competition in my head for so many months now, it’s such a battle. Katie is the Olympic champion, she’s the world champion and she’s honestly one of the greatest in the sport, so to share it with her is an honour and a privilege and will mean that we’ll be connected forever.

“When we were equal, we were both looking at each other. I didn’t think she was going to want to share it. I said to her, “hey girl, you maybe want to share?” You could see the relief come over her face, and she was like, “yes!” and then we both started crying.”

Earlier in the day, Kennedy’s training partner Kurtis Marschall (WA, Paul Burgess) safely navigated the Men’s Pole Vault Qualification with a 5.75m clearance, maintaining a clean sheet in the process.

Australia is on track to continue its domination of the Women’s Javelin with three of the country’s most credentialed throwers advancing to Friday’s final. Despite the success on paper, the competition was not without drama with all three women paving different paths to the main event.

National record holder and now five-time World Championships representative Kathryn Mitchell (VIC, Uwe Hohn) was the first Australian down the runway, throwing 62.20m on the opening throw to achieve the automatic qualifier for the final.

For 41-year-old Mitchell, the first-round performance signified her comeback to full health - both physical and mental - who six weeks ago was considering retirement.

“This year has really tested me but  I’ve been fighting along in the background. After Tokyo, my mum passed away so last year I tried to find motivation, tried to enjoy it but it’s been really hard,” Mitchell said.

“Six weeks ago I was going to pull the pin. I couldn’t get healthy, I was just struggling and by the time I got well enough to train I had a three-week window to qualify. I had pretty much stopped thinking about the world championships and thought I should start preparing for next year.”

Tokyo Olympic finalist Mackenzie Little (NSW, Angus McEntyre) threw a clutch 63.45m on her final throw to catapult her way through the rankings and to the final, admitting it was not the morning she had anticipated.

“I would say it didn’t go all quite to plan. I think for those people who look up those results and see three Australians in the final, they will think that it was just textbook qualifying rounds for us, but I am proud of myself that I could put it together in the final round and throw like I know that I can,” Little said.

For reigning world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber (QLD, Mike Barber), the pathway to the final was not without a nervous wait. The Olympic bronze medallist served up a 59.66m effort for eighth place in Qualification Group A, before clinching the 12th and final spot overall at the conclusion of Group B - going from “feeling numb” to excited and ready to reset for Friday’s final.

Australia’s second fastest sprint hurdler in history Michelle Jenneke (NSW, Gary Bourne) added World Championships semi-final number five to her resume, teraring over the sticks in 12.80 (-0.4) to claim fifth place in Semi-Final 3. Fellow Australian Celeste Mucci (VIC, Darren Clark) raced to sixth place in Semi-Final 1 in a time of 12.97 (-0.7). 

Oceania record holder Catriona Bisset (VIC, Ned Brophy-Williams) took no chances in her first-round display of the Women’s 800m, front-running her way to a sub-two minute reading of 1:59.46 to claim second place and automatic qualification from Heat 6. 

22-year-old Abbey Caldwell (VIC, Gavin Burren) overcame a jostling encounter in Heat 3 to also advance, finishing in third place in 2:00.29, while World Championships debutant Ellie Sanford (VIC, Terri Cater) concluded her maiden campaign with a run of 2:03.55 for seventh place in Heat 5.

Three Australian long jumpers came unstuck in the Qualifying rounds of the Men’s event, as Chris Mitrevski (VIC, John Boas) and Liam Adcock (QLD, Gary Bourne) both jumped to a best of 7.99m to miss the final by one-centimetre. The leap was Mitrevski’s best at a major championships, as debutant Adcock recorded the seventh furthest leap of his budding representative career. Experienced campaigner Henry Frayne (QLD, Gary Bourne) bowed out of competition with a best of 7.78m to finish 20th in the world. 

In the Women’s Hammer Throw Qualification, World Championships debutant Stephanie Ratcliffe (VIC, Matthew Horneman) launched the hammer 69.87m to finish in 18th place overall, missing the cut of the top-12 for the final. 

Tokyo Olympian Rose Davies (NSW, Scott Westcott) led the nation’s chase for representation in the Women’s 5000m Final alongside Jessica Hull (NSW, Simon Hull) and Lauren Ryan (VIC, Lara Rogers), with the Newcastle product racing to a seasons best of 15:07.93 for 10th place in Heat 1.

Missing out on a finals berth by two seconds, Davies led home Ryan who crossed in 18th place in a time of 15:40.23, while Hull felt the effects of her seventh-place finish in last night’s 1500m Final – claiming 13th place in Heat 2 with a 15:15.89 performance. 

Australia’s steeplechase trio of Cara Feain-Ryan (QLD, Ben Norton), Amy Cashin (VIC, Sean Cleary) and Brielle Erbacher (QLD, Jody Erbacher) were valiant in defeat in the Women’s 3000m Steeplechase heats, led by a career-best run of 9:29.60 from Feain-Ryan. The seven second personal best landed the 2023 World University Games champion in seventh place in Heat 2, while Cashin’s 9:31.07 earned her eighth place in Heat 3 and Erbacher’s placed 11th in Heat 1 with 9:57.11. 

Rounding out the results for the Australians on Day Five of competition, Aidan Murphy (SA, Dylan Hicks) contested his second World Athletics Championships at just 19-years-old, eliminated from the 200m after running 20.90 (-1.4) for sixth place in Heat 3.

By Sascha Ryner and Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 23/8/2023