WA pole vault sensation Nina Kennedy will compete at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in April. Photo: UNDA.
By Matthew Lau
Newly-crowned national pole vault champion Nina Kennedy has set the bar for her participation in next month’s prestigious Commonwealth Games.
The 20-year-old Perth athlete is a Bachelor of Behavioural Science student at the University of Notre Dame in Fremantle, and the 2018 Commonwealth Games will be her maiden involvement in the competition, which will be held in Queensland’s Gold Coast from 4 to 15 April.
Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to jump over a bar.
Earlier this month, on 3 March, Kennedy represented Australia and attained eighth in the world at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, England.
The high-performer accomplished 4.60 metres high, and then set three personal bests in a night; she cleared 4.62m, 4.67m and then 4.71m.
“[Eighth] in the world, gotta [sic] be happy with that – my first world indoor championships were something I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. So many positives to take away, thank you to everyone who’s helped me get this far,” she wrote on an Instagram post.
Her score of 4.71m at WA Athletics Stadium last month was a personal best and world indoor qualifier to make her an automatic selection for the Commonwealth Games.
Kennedy, who will turn 21 the day after the Games start on 4 April, won the national title on the Gold Coast with a 4.60m score on 17 February, beating WA training partner Liz Parnov.
“While pole vault can be a challenging sport, I am privileged to be surrounded by such supportive coaches, family and friends, who give me the encouragement and confidence to succeed,” Kennedy said.
The WA Institute of Sport athlete is no stranger to breaking records. She set a new standard for under-20s at the World Junior Outdoor Record at Jandakot City Track Classic in Perth back in 2015, clearing 4.59m.
Perth swimmer Brianna Throssell in action. Photo: Swimming WA.
Fellow University of Notre Dame student Brianna Throssell will represent the Australian Dolphin Team at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The butterfly specialist is studying a Bachelor of Physiotherapy and Pre-Medicine Certificate.
Throssell, 22, made her Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro after winning silver in the 200m butterfly race at the 2016 summer competition.
Through Instagram, she publicly thanked those who supported her along the way, “It has been a long time coming, but we got there. A personal best in the 100m fly last night [and the 100m freestyle] and selection onto the Commonwealth Games [Australia] team. Thank you to all that helped me get back on the horse”.
The Perth athlete swam into the spotlight when she came home from the 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games with seven medals.
“When you find something you love and enjoy doing, you can overcome challenges that arise. I’ve been swimming my whole life. I love the atmosphere of an aquatic centre and when you start to get results, the positive energy spurs you on,” Throssell said.