{{Short description|Australian pole vaulter (born 1997)}} {{For|the American pianist and conductor|Nina Gamble Kennedy}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}} {{use Australian English|date=August 2016}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Nina Kennedy | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100|OAM}} | image = Pole Vault Women MEETING STANISLAS TOMBLAINE 2018 Stade Raymond Petit (43082789941).jpg | caption = Kennedy in 2018 | nationality = Australian | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|4|5|df=yes}} | birth_place = Busselton, Western Australia | education = University of Notre Dame Australia | height = 1.65 m<ref>{{cite web |url=https://results.gc2018.com/en/athletics/athlete-profile-n6029602-nina-kennedy.htm |title=Nina Kennedy |website=gc2018.com |publisher=Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games |access-date=28 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180429025301/https://results.gc2018.com/en/athletics/athlete-profile-n6029602-nina-kennedy.htm |archive-date=29 April 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref> | weight = 60 kg | country = Australia | sport = Athletics | event = Pole vault | pb = {{ubl|'''Outdoor''': 4.91 m (2023 {{AthAbbr|NR|Australian}})|'''Indoor''': 4.60 m (2018)}} | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Women's athletics}} {{Medal|Country|{{AUS}}}} {{Medal|Competition|Olympic Games}} {{Medal|Gold|2024 Paris|Pole vault}} {{Medal|Competition|World Championships}} {{Medal|Gold|2023 Budapest|Pole vault}} {{Medal|Bronze|2022 Eugene|Pole vault}} {{Medal|Competition|Diamond League}} {{Medal|1st|2022|Pole vault}} {{Medal|1st|2024|Pole vault}} {{Medal|Competition|Commonwealth Games}} {{Medal|Gold|2022 Birmingham|Pole Vault}} {{Medal|Bronze|2018 Gold Coast|Pole Vault}} }}
'''Nina Kennedy''' (born 5 April 1997)<ref>[https://thewest.com.au/sport/commonwealth-games/commonwealth-games-2018-wa-pole-vaulter-nina-kennedy-bounces-back-from-tough-time-ng-b88752796z "Commonwealth Games 2018: WA pole vaulter Nina Kennedy bounces back from tough time"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406102216/https://thewest.com.au/sport/commonwealth-games/commonwealth-games-2018-wa-pole-vaulter-nina-kennedy-bounces-back-from-tough-time-ng-b88752796z |date=6 April 2018 }} by Steve Butler, ''The West Australian'', 26 February 2018</ref> is an Australian track and field athlete who specializes in the pole vault. She is an Olympic gold medallist, World Championships gold and bronze medallist, and Commonwealth Games gold and bronze medallist. Kennedy won the gold medal in the pole vault at the 2024 Summer Olympics, the 2023 World Championships (shared with Katie Moon) and the 2022 Commonwealth Games. She holds the Australian national record with a personal best vault of 4.91 metres.<ref>{{cite web |date=17 August 2022 |title=Nina Kennedy |url=https://worldathletics.org/athletes/australia/nina-kennedy-14407592 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802205725/https://worldathletics.org/athletes/australia/nina-kennedy-14407592 |archive-date=2 August 2022 |access-date=17 August 2022 |publisher=World Athletics}}</ref>
== Early life == Kennedy was born in Busselton, 225 km south of Perth. Her family moved to Perth and she completed primary school there. She attended secondary school at PLC Perth.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kimlin |first=Jasmine |date=2021-03-15 |title=Nina Kennedy Jumps Into the Record Books |url=https://www.plc.wa.edu.au/nina-kennedy-jumps-into-the-record-books/ |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=Presbyterian Ladies' College |language=en-AU}}</ref> When she was 11 years old she joined her first club, Perry Lakes Little Athletics. Kennedy began pole vaulting in 2009 after attending a "come try day" organized by Steve Hooker's coach, who was scouting for talent among young athletes. She was one of approximately 30 children who participated, with only three continuing in the sport.<ref name="BourisKennedy">{{Cite podcast |host=Mark Bouris |title=144 Going For Gold How Nina Kennedy Soared To Olympic Success |website=Straight Talk with Mark Bouris |url=https://podcast2transcript.com/blog/straight-talk-with-mark-bouris/144-going-for-gold-how-nina-kennedy-soared-to-olympic-success |publisher=Mark Bouris |date=2025-06-10 |access-date=2025-07-04}}</ref>{{rp|00:09:08}} In 2012, aged 14, Kennedy placed second in the senior Australian pole vault championships with a personal best of 4.10m. A year later she set a best of 4.31m and placed fifth at the IAAF World Youth (U18) Championships. At the 2014 IAAF World Juniors, she vaulted a personal best of 4.40m, just missing a medal to finish fourth.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Nina Kennedy |url=https://www.olympics.com.au/olympians/nina-kennedy/ |access-date=5 October 2021 |website=Australian Olympic Committee |language=en-AU |archive-date=5 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005221627/https://www.olympics.com.au/olympians/nina-kennedy/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
== Senior career == In February 2015 in Perth, Kennedy cleared 4.43m, then 4.50m and finally 4.59m – a world junior record. This qualified her for the 2015 World Championships in Beijing but she failed to clear the opening height in the qualification round.
In 2018, Kennedy raised her personal best to 4.60m and a week later moved to number three Australian all-time with a vault of 4.71m. At the National Championships she vaulted a 4.60m and defeated New Zealand's Olympic bronze medallist Eliza McCartney.<ref name=":0" />
At the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Kennedy won bronze. In early 2020, Kennedy cleared her second-best ever height of 4.61m and was consistent with eight consecutive competitions at 4.70m or higher.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Kennedy jumped while injured, with a 4.40m clearance that placed 12th in her qualifier.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 August 2021 |title=West Aussies eliminated in pole vault controversy |url=https://thewest.com.au/sport/tokyo-2020/tokyo-olympics-wa-pole-vaulter-liz-parnov-eliminated-nina-kennedy-still-jumping-as-rain-derails-contest-c-3576033 |access-date=5 October 2021 |website=The West Australian |language=en |archive-date=5 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211005220911/https://thewest.com.au/sport/tokyo-2020/tokyo-olympics-wa-pole-vaulter-liz-parnov-eliminated-nina-kennedy-still-jumping-as-rain-derails-contest-c-3576033 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Kennedy transitioned to being a full-time professional athlete in 2021, able to comfortably support herself through earnings from the sport and sponsorships.<ref name="BourisKennedy" />{{rp|00:06:51}} Kennedy raised the Australian record to 4.82m at the 2021 Sydney Track Classic.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 March 2021 |title=WA vault star's incredible record night |url=https://thewest.com.au/sport/athletics/wa-vaulter-and-olympic-hopeful-nina-kennedy-smashes-australian-record-ng-b881820565z |access-date=13 March 2021 |archive-date=13 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210313144158/https://thewest.com.au/sport/athletics/wa-vaulter-and-olympic-hopeful-nina-kennedy-smashes-australian-record-ng-b881820565z |url-status=live}}</ref>
At the 2022 World Athletics Championships, Kennedy won bronze with a clearance of 4.80m. This clearance saw Kennedy achieve the highest jump by an Australian at a World Athletics Championships, surpassing Alana Boyd's mark of 4.60m achieved at the 2015 World Athletics Championships held in Beijing. The next month, at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Kennedy won gold with a clearance of 4.60m.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 August 2022 |title=Kennedy completes stunning turnaround with pole vault gold |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/athletics/kennedy-completes-stunning-turnaround-with-pole-vault-gold-20220803-p5b6r3.html |access-date=2 August 2022 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en |archive-date=2 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220802220237/https://www.smh.com.au/sport/athletics/kennedy-completes-stunning-turnaround-with-pole-vault-gold-20220803-p5b6r3.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
At the 2023 World Athletics Championships, Kennedy won gold with a clearance of 4.90m, which she shared with the American athlete Katie Moon.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nina Kennedy shares pole vault gold in thrilling world athletics championships final |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-24/australian-nina-kennedy-shares-pole-vault-gold-world-champs/102769048 |access-date=24 August 2023 |publisher=ABCNews}}</ref>
After winning her Olympic gold medal, Kennedy attended a club in Paris until the early morning, returning to the Olympic Village around 6:30 or 7:00 AM.<ref name="BourisKennedy" />{{rp|00:50:33}} She went directly from her event, still wearing her competition shorts and sneakers, along with an oversized T-shirt.<ref name="BourisKennedy" />{{rp|00:49:12}}
For competitions such as the Olympic Games, Kennedy travels with approximately 12 poles, each of different stiffnesses.<ref name="BourisKennedy" />{{rp|00:22:19}} She selects poles based on the height of the bar, starting with softer poles for lower heights (e.g., 4.40m) and progressively using stiffer poles for higher attempts (e.g., up to 4.90m).<ref name="BourisKennedy" />{{rp|00:23:03}}
==Competition record== {| {{AchievementTable}} |- !colspan="6"|Representing {{AUS}} |- |2013 |style="text-align:left;"|World Youth Championships |style="text-align:left;"|Donetsk, Ukraine |5th |4.05 m |- |2014 |style="text-align:left;"|World Junior Championships |style="text-align:left;"|Eugene, Oregon, US |4th |4.40 m |- |2015 |style="text-align:left;"|World Championships |style="text-align:left;"|Beijing, China | – |NM |- |2016 |style="text-align:left;"|World U20 Championships |style="text-align:left;"|Bydgoszcz, Poland | – |NM |- |rowspan=2|2018 |style="text-align:left;"|World Indoor Championships |style="text-align:left;"|Birmingham, United Kingdom |8th |4.60 m |- |style="text-align:left;"|Commonwealth Games |style="text-align:left;"|Gold Coast, Australia |style="background-color:#cc9966;" | 3rd |4.60 m |- |2021 |style="text-align:left;"|Olympic Games |style="text-align:left;"|Tokyo, Japan |22nd (q) |4.40 m |- |rowspan=2|2022 |style="text-align:left;"|World Championships |style="text-align:left;"|Eugene, Oregon, US |style="background-color:#cc9966;" | 3rd |4.80 m |- |style="text-align:left;"|Commonwealth Games |style="text-align:left;"|Birmingham, United Kingdom |style="background-color:gold" | 1st |4.60 m |- |2023 |style="text-align:left;"|World Championships |style="text-align:left;"|Budapest, Hungary |style="background-color:gold;" | 1st= |4.90 m |- |2024 |style="text-align:left;"|Olympic Games |style="text-align:left;"|Paris, France |style="background-color:gold;" | 1st |4.90 m |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * {{World Athletics}} * [https://www.athletics.com.au/athlete/nina-kennedy/ Nina Kennedy] at Australian Athletics ([https://web.archive.org/web/20250121032624/https://www.athletics.com.au/athlete-profiles-directory/nina-kennedy/ archive]) * [https://athletics.possumbility.com/athletes/athlete6111.htm Nina Kennedy] at Australian Athletics Historical Results * {{AOC profile|nina-kennedy}} * {{CGA profile|nina-kennedy}} * {{Olympics.com|nina-kennedy}} * {{Olympedia}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20241006235546/https://www.olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/nina-kennedy_1939839 Nina Kennedy] at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics (archived, [https://paris2024.rtve.es/es/paris-2024/atleta/nina-kennedy_1939839 alternate link]) * {{2022 Commonwealth Games profile|53438}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions Pole Vault Women}} {{Footer World Champions Pole Vault Women}} {{Footer Commonwealth Champions Pole Vault Women}} {{Footer IAAF Diamond League Pole Vault Champions Women}} {{Footer WBYP Pole Vault Women}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Nina}} Category:1997 births Category:Living people Category:Australian women pole vaulters Category:World Athletics Championships winners Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for Australia Category:Diamond League winners Category:Australian Athletics Championships winners Category:Olympic athletes for Australia Category:Olympic gold medalists for Australia Category:Olympic gold medalists in athletics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2024 Summer Olympics Category:Medalists at the 2024 Summer Olympics Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Australia Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2018 Commonwealth Games Category:Medallists at the 2018 Commonwealth Games Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia Category:Sportswomen from Western Australia Category:Athletes from Perth, Western Australia Category:Sportspeople from Busselton Category:21st-century Australian sportswomen Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in athletics