Busselton-born pole vaulter Nina Kennedy bounces back with fourth-place finish in London Diamond League event

Busselton’s pole vault star Nina Kennedy has bounced back from a slight slump in form after feeding off the energy of the London crowd to finish just shy of the podium. The 26-year-old ventured to London for the latest round of the 2023 Diamond League circuit, managing a fourth-place finish with a best clearance of 4.71m. In challenging, windy conditions, Kennedy shook off an initial error to clear 4.51m, then easily cleared 4.62m. After two unsuccessful attempts at 4.71m, Kennedy fed off the crowd’s energy to clear it on her final attempt, before bowing out after three unsuccessful attempts at 4.80m. Kennedy was ultimately defeated by Finland’s Wilma Murto and reigning Olympic champion Katie Moon, who both cleared 4.80m, along with Slovenia’s Tina Sutej, who clinched third place for the meet on countback. After competing in five meetings, Kennedy remains in joint third place with Murto ahead of the World Athletics Championships and the remaining Diamond League meets. Kennedy will next compete at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest later this month.