Nina Kennedy
Nina Kennedy (born 5 April 1997) is an Australian athlete who specialises in pole vault. She qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and competed in the Women's pole vault. Her best height was 4.4m which meant that she was placed 12th in her qualifier. Kennedy was eliminated from the pole vault qualifiers in controversial circumstances as officials failed to stop proceedings as rain tumbled down. She was forced to try her third attempt at 4.40m as the rain steadily increased. and in slippery, wet conditions was forced to abandon her next jump. Early years. Kennedy  was born in Busselton, three hours south of Perth. Her family moved to Perth and she completed primary school there. When she was 11 years old she joined her first club, Perry Lakes Little Athletics. Kennedy started pole vaulting one year later, after a pole vault coach talent identified her at an athletics meet. In 2012, aged 14, Kennedy was 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 was placing 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 and finishing fourth. Achievements. 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. 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. She raised the Australian record to 4.82m at the Sydney Track Classic. As of March 2021, Kennedy is ranked 20th in the world in the women's pole vault category.