Nina Kennedy is an Australian athlete, who competes in the pole vault. She holds the national record in the event and won the gold in the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2023 World Athletics Championships. She is also a Diamond League Final winner.
Nina Kennedy was born on April 5, 1997, in Busselton, Western Australia. She joined her first club, Perry Lakes Little Athletics, at the age of 11, and started pole vaulting one year later.
Nina Kennedy started her competitive career in 2010, winning the pole vault gold at the Perth Western Australia Championships and Melbourne Australian All Schools Championships. During the next season she already earned the gold at the Sydney Australian U15 Championships and Sydney Australian U17 Championships, as well as the Perth All Schools Western Australia Championships, but also competed at the Sydney Track Classic, where failed to record a successful attempt.
In 2012, Nina Kennedy made her debut at the senior national championships and won her first honor, earning the pole vault silver at the Melbourne Australian Open Championships. Earlier during the season she triumphed at the Sydney Australian U16 Championships, where covered the 4.10m and set her personal best at that time. Meanwhile, she proved to be one of the top Australian pole vault talents, winning plenty of honors.
In 2013, Nina Kennedy earned the bronze at the Sydney Australian Open Championships, but also finished 4th at the Melbourne IAAF World Challenge and 5th at the Donetsk IAAF World Youth Championships. Meanwhile, she won the gold at the Perth WA State Championships and Perth Australian U18 Championships.
Nina Kennedy was close to earning her first major international honor in 2014, but finished fourth at the Eugene IAAF World Junior Championships, although set a new personal best of 4.40m. However, she earned the pole vault silver at the Burnaby Harry Jerome International Track Classic and finished 5th at the Sydney Track Classic. Meanwhile, she failed to make a successful attempt at the Melbourne Australian Championships final.
In 2015, Nina Kennedy made her debut at the senior major championship, competing at the Beijing IAAF World Championships, but did not qualify for the final. However, she earned the silver at the Brisbane Australian Championships and also competed at the prestigious Heusden-Zolder KBC Night of Athletics, Beckum Stabhochsrpungmeeting, and Rottach-Egern Stabhochsprung-Meeting. Meanwhile, she triumphed with the gold at the Sydney Australian Junior Championships, where improved her personal best to 4.50m.
Nina Kennedy continued performing at the top level in 2016, earning the silver at the Sydney Australian Championships and finishing fourth at the Melbourne IAAF World Challenge. She also competed at the Bydgoszcz IAAF World U20 Championships but failed to overcome the qualifications.
Nina Kennedy did not have a very strong season in 2017 but earned the gold at the Melbourne NITRO Athletics and the silver at the Cairns ANQ Vertical Jumps Invitational. Although not very successful, she won the gold at the Perth WA State Championships and again improved her personal best to 4.55m.
In 2018, Nina Kennedy won her first national title triumphing at the Gold Coast Australian Championships, but also won the pole vault bronze at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, both covering the height of 4.60m. During the season she finished 8th at the Birmingham IAAF World Indoor Championships and made her debut in the Diamond League, finishing 11th at the Athletissima Lausanne. Meanwhile, Nina Kennedy won the gold at the Heusden-Zolder KBC Night of Athletics and the bronze at the Tomblaine Meeting Stanislas Nancy. She improved her personal best at the Perth Regional Meeting, covering a height of 4.71m.
In 2019, Nina Kennedy had only a few competitions to take part in but won the silver at the Jandakot Airport Perth Track Classic.
In 2020, she returned to the track and field athletic, setting her full national domination. She won the gold at the Jandakot Airport Track Classic, Canberra Track Classic, Sir Graeme Douglas International, and Keep on Running Night of the Five, covering 4.72m and setting a new personal best.
Nina Kennedy won her second national title in 2021, earning the pole vault gold at the Sydney Australian Championships with 4.75m. However, this was not her best achievement for the season, as earlier she covered 4.82m at the Sydney Track Classic, where earned the gold as well. She triumphed with the titles at the Queensland Track Classic and WA State Championships. She competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics but failed to overcome the qualifications.
Nina Kennedy appeared on the big athletics scene in 2022, winning the bronze at the Eugene World Athletics Championships, covering a height of 4.80m. She earned the gold at the Birmingham XXII Commonwealth Games and triumphed with her third national title at the Sydney Australian Championships. Meanwhile, Nina Kennedy won the gold at the Diamond League’s Final Weltklasse Zurich, covering her season’s best of 4.81m. She also earned the gold at the Diamond League’s Herculis Meeting International d’Athlétisme EBS, as well as the silver at the Athletissima Lausanne and Meeting International Mohammed VI d’Athletisme de Rabat.
In 2023, Nina Kennedy won her first and only national title, sharing the gold at the Budapest World Athletics Championships together with American athlete Katie Moon, both covering 4.90m. This was also her personal best result and the Australian national record. Meanwhile, during the season, Nina Kennedy won the gold at the Diamond League’s Meeting de Paris and Weltklasse Zurich, as well as the bronze at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea in Firenze.
Nina Kennedy photos
