Australia’s Nina Kennedy has produced an outstanding series to take a bronze medal in women’s pole vault at the World Athletics Championships in the United States.
The Perth-born 25-year-old finished with 4.80m, just 2cm off her own Australian record. She finished behind American pair Katie Nageotte and Sandi Morris, who both cleared 4.85m with Nageotte winning the gold medal on countback.
Kennedy struggled early, missing her first two attempts at 4.45m after passing at 4.30.
With her place in the competition on the line, Kennedy cleared the bar on her third attempt at 4.45, before getting over at 4.60m on her first try.
The Australian, who won bronze at the Commonwealth Games in 2018, was well and truly in the zone, following up with a clearance at 4.70m at her first attempt. This equalled her season’s best.
The field narrowed to five after that height: Kennedy, American pair Sandi Morris and Katie Nageotte, Slovenia’s Tina Šutej and Greece’s Ekaterini Stefanidi.
With the pressure rising, Kennedy cleared 4.80 at her first attempt to establish a new season’s best and lay down a marker to her rivals.
Morris matched her clearance, but Nageotte, Stefanidi and Šutej all failed at their first attempt to give the Australian an advantage. Nageotte cleared the bar at her second attempt, Stefanidi passed and Šutej went out.
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