Everything on the line for WA pole vaulter Nina Kennedy in her pursuit for Olympic Games gold medal

Pole vault world champion and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Nina Kennedy insists “it’s all out on the line” as she aims to propel herself to Olympic Games gold in Paris later this year. WA star Kennedy has been at the peak of her powers for two years winning gold at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022 before backing it up at the world championships in Budapest, Hungary, last year alongside American Katie Moon. The 26-year-old had to share the top of the podium with Moon after the pair could not be separated following their gruelling showdown. Kennedy draws inspiration from the ferocious battle to fuel her determination to stand alone atop the Olympic podium. Speaking candidly about her Olympic preparation in Albany during her visit for the Albany Sportsperson of the Year awards and the Great Southern Sports Forum on February 15 and 16, Kennedy said her training is tracking superbly as the Paris games loom. “It’s full steam ahead towards the Olympics only being six months out now, it’s crunch time,” Kennedy said. “I’m going to roll the dice, I’m going to put it all out on the line. I am going for gold alone and I just want to look back and say that I did everything I could and just be proud of how I competed. “I want a gold medal and I just want to look back and say ‘I competed my best I did everything I could’, and if that gets a gold medal or a bronze medal, I’m going to be happy.” Kennedy insists her body is “feeling primed” in yet another quest for gold as her training loads build towards the elite circuit competitions in Doha, Eugene, London and Monaco before the Olympics. “I’m just training at the moment and then I will head overseas in May to do some diamond league competitions,” she said. “So I’ll have five to six competitions before actually meeting up with the Australian athletics team and then going into the village in the second week of the Olympics in early August. “It is (body feeling primed) and I am just super excited.” The Busselton-born Olympian frequently ventures to the Great Southern region with her partner Declan Mountford, a former AFL player for West Coast and North Melbourne and current captain of the Claremont Tigers in the WAFL. Mountford’s family resides on a farm in Manypeaks about 30 minutes from Albany. It is this time away from the track that ensures a determined Kennedy’s rigorous training regime remains steadfast as the clock ticks down to Olympic competition. “My coaches think I go away too much but I love coming down here and I love having the weekend off and pressing refresh,” Kennedy said. “If I’m on 24-7 it’s not going to help me and I really like that mental refresh. “I think of it as a 9-5 job so it’s good to have the weekend off and coming down here with Declan’s family is so nice. “Then back to training on a Monday I’m refreshed and energised.” Kennedy attended the Albany Sportsperson of the Year awards and the Great Southern Sports Forum to share her journey to the world’s biggest stage with Albany’s sporting alumni while unpacking her diligence and the sacrifices she has made in a bid to reach her goals. The Olympic Games kick off in Paris on Friday, July 26 but the track and field events do not begin until the second week at the start of August.

Everything on the line for WA pole vaulter Nina Kennedy in her pursuit for Olympic Games gold medal

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